Sample records for depleted zinc properties

Zinc (Zn)-depletion inhibits the second step of RNA splicing, namely exon-ligation. To investigate the effects of cadmium (Cd) and other metal ions on RNA splicing inhibited by Zn-depletion, we measured in vitro splicing activities in the presence of these metals. Zn-depletion in the splicing reaction mixture was achieved by addition of a Zn-chelator, 1,10-phenanthroline. Cd(II) at 1, 5 and 10 microM restored the splicing activity to 2, 24 and 72% of that in the control reaction mixture, while higher concentrations of Cd(II) decreased the splicing activity, and more than 50 microM Cd(II) showed a complete absence of spliced products. Hg(II) also restored the splicing activity, albeit to a lesser extent, since 5 and 10 microM Hg(II) restored the splicing activity to 3 and 4% of the control value. The other metal ions examined in this study, Co(II), Cu(II), Mg(II) and Mn(II), did not show any restoration of the splicing activity. We concluded that Cd(II) could restore the in vitro splicing activity inhibited by Zn-depletion, although higher concentrations of Cd(II) prevented progress of the RNA splicing reaction. These results suggest that Cd(II) has a bifunctional property regarding RNA splicing, and is stimulatory at low concentrations and inhibitory at high concentrations.

High resolution electron microscopy of ultrathin sections confirms the presence of a membrane surrounding the tapetal rods in the cat. Cats depleted of taurine exhibit disruption and disorganization of this membrane, probably the first stage of more severe tapetal degeneration. Histochemical localization of zinc shows it to be present on the periphery of the tapetal rods. The amount of zinc present on the periphery of the tapetal rods of taurine depleted cats was greatly reduced. Taurine in feline tapetum, confirmed by autoradiography and direct measurement, was also greatly reduced in taurine-depleted cats. We conclude that both taurine and zinc are localized on the periphery of the tapetal rods and that they contribute to the stability of the membrane. We have also confirmed earlier reports that the cat tapetal rods contain riboflavin and no detectable cysteine.

Sterile inflammation contributes to many common and serious human diseases. The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) drives sterile inflammatory responses and is thus a very attractive therapeutic target. Activation of IL-1β in sterile diseases commonly requires an intracellular multi-protein complex called the NLRP3 (NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3) inflammasome. A number of disease-associated danger molecules are known to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. We show here that depletion of zinc from macrophages, a paradigm for zinc deficiency, also activates the NLRP3 inflammasome and induces IL-1β secretion. Our data suggest that zincdepletion damages the integrity of lysosomes and that this event is important for NLRP3 activation. These data provide new mechanistic insight to how zinc deficiency contributes to inflammation and further unravel the mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. PMID:24481454

In a 36-d experiment, 32 pigs were depleted of Zn (24 d) using a soy-isolate (basal) diet (17 mg/kg of Zn) and then fed the basal diet (12 d) supplemented with 45 mg/kg of Zn from ZnSO4 (purified zinc sulfate dry powder, ZnSO4.nH2O) or from a Zn amino acid chelate (ZnAAC) to study the effectiveness of these dietary Zn sources in restoring serum and soft tissue Zn concentrations. Concurrently, nondepleted pigs were pair-fed both Zn-supplemented diets (eight pigs per diet) throughout the experiment. Serum Zn concentrations and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of pigs fed the diets with no supplemental Zn were lower (P < .05) than those of nondepleted pigs after 7 and 14 d, respectively. After 24 d, concentrations of Zn in liver, pancreas, kidney, brain, and small intestine of Zn-depleted pigs were lower (P < .01) than those of nondepleted pigs. Except for decreased (P < .001) kidney Cu, soft tissue Cu and Fe concentrations were not affected by Zn status or Zn source. From d 24 to 36 (Zn repletion), serum and tissue Zn concentrations and serum ALP activities increased (P < .05), but the response was similar for both Zn sources in Zn-depleted and nondepleted pigs. At d 30 and 36, kidney Cu was increased (P < .01) in Zn-depleted pigs fed 45 mg/kg of Zn as either ZnSO4 or ZnAAC. Furthermore, Fe concentration was higher (P < .05) in intestinal segments of Zn-depleted and nondepleted pigs fed ZnAAC than in pigs fed ZnSO4. Accumulations of Cu in the kidney and Fe in the small intestine were affected by depletion and repletion of Zn and by dietary Zn source, respectively. In conclusion, serum and soft tissue Zn concentrations were clearly affected by Zn status: however, an effect of Zn source was not observed.

The Costa Rica Dome (CRD) is a wind-driven feature characterized by high primary production and an unusual cyanobacterial bloom in surface waters. It is not clear whether this bloom arises from top-down or bottom-up processes. Several studies have argued that trace metal geochemistry within the CRD contributes to the composition of the phytoplankton assemblages, since cyanobacteria and eukaryotic phytoplankton have different transition metal requirements. Here, we report that total dissolved zinc (Zn) is significantly depleted relative to phosphate (P) and silicate (Si) within the upper water column of the CRD compared with other oceanic systems, and this may create conditions favorable for cyanobacteria, which have lower Zn requirements than their eukaryotic competitors. Shipboard grow-out experiments revealed that while Si was a limiting factor under our experimental conditions, additions of Si and either iron (Fe) or Zn led to higher biomass than Si additions alone. The addition of Fe and Zn alone did not lead to significant enhancements. Our results suggest that the depletion of Zn relative to P in upwelled waters may create conditions in the near-surface waters that favor phytoplankton with low Zn requirements, including cyanobacteria. PMID:27275028

Studies of the phase diagram of uranium have revealed a wealth of high pressure and temperature phases. Under ambient conditions the crystal structure is well defined up to 100 gigapascals (GPa), but very little information on thermal conduction or elasticity is available over this same range. This work has applied ultrasonic interferometry to determine the elasticity, mechanical, and thermal properties of depleted uranium to 4.5 GPa. Results show general strengthening with applied load, including an overall increase in acoustic thermal conductivity. Further implications are discussed within. This work presents the first high pressure studies of the elasticity and thermal properties of depleted uranium metal and the first real-world application of a previously developed containment system for making such measurements.

In laboratory experiments, the antifouling (AF) properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod coatings were investigated using the marine bacterium Acinetobacter sp. AZ4C, larvae of the bryozoan Bugula neritina and the microalga Tetraselmis sp. ZnO nanorod coatings were fabricated on microscope glass substrata by a simple hydrothermal technique using two different molar concentrations (5 and 10 mM) of zinc precursors. These coatings were tested for 5 h under artificial sunlight (1060 W m(-2) or 530 W m(-2)) and in the dark (no irradiation). In the presence of light, both the ZnO nanorod coatings significantly reduced the density of Acinetobacter sp. AZ4C and Tetraselmis sp. in comparison to the control (microscope glass substratum without a ZnO coating). High mortality and low settlement of B. neritina larvae was observed on ZnO nanorod coatings subjected to light irradiation. In darkness, neither mortality nor enhanced settlement of larvae was observed. Larvae of B. neritina were not affected by Zn(2+) ions. The AF effect of the ZnO nanorod coatings was thus attributed to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by photocatalysis. It was concluded that ZnO nanorod coatings effectively prevented marine micro and macrofouling in static conditions.

Zinc oxide nanowires were grown on molybdenum grids with a simple chemical vapor transport and deposition method through thermal evaporation of zinc powder at a temperature of 600 degrees C. These nanowires are 20-50 nm in diameter and over ten microns in length. High resolution transmission electron microscopy studies show that the as-grown nanowires are single crystal of wurtzite structure and grow along the (0001) direction. The growth process was explained with a vapor-solid mechanism under zinc-rich conditions. We further patterned electrodes on individual ZnO nanowires by e-beam lithography and studied thier electrical properties.

Thermodynamic properties of lanthanum were determined in gallium-zinc alloys of the eutectic and over-eutectic compositions. The electromotive force measurements were used to determine thermodynamic activity and sedimentation technique to measure solubility of lanthanum in liquid metal alloys. Temperature dependencies of lanthanum activity, solubility and activity coefficients in alloys with Ga-Zn mixtures containing 3.64, 15 and 50 wt. % zinc were obtained.

As part of the innate immune system, natural killer (NK) cells are directly involved in the response to fungal infections. Perforin has been identified as the major effector molecule acting against many fungal pathogens. While several studies have shown that perforin mediated fungicidal effects can contribute to fungal clearance, neither the activation of NK cells by fungal pathogens nor the effects of perforin on fungal cells are well-understood. In a dual approach, we have studied the global gene expression pattern of primary and cytokine activated NK cells after co-incubation with Candida albicans and the transcriptomic adaptation of C. albicans to perforin exposure. NK cells responded to the fungal pathogen with an up-regulation of genes involved in immune signaling and release of cytokines. Furthermore, we observed a pronounced increase of genes involved in glycolysis and glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose impaired C. albicans induced NK cell activation. This strongly indicates that metabolic adaptation is a major part of the NK cell response to C. albicans infections. In the fungal pathogen, perforin induced a strong up-regulation of several fungal genes involved in the zincdepletion response, such as PRA1 and ZRT1. These data suggest that fungal zinc homeostasis is linked to the reaction to perforin secreted by NK cells. However, deletion mutants in PRA1 and ZRT1 did not show altered susceptibility to perforin.

As part of the innate immune system, natural killer (NK) cells are directly involved in the response to fungal infections. Perforin has been identified as the major effector molecule acting against many fungal pathogens. While several studies have shown that perforin mediated fungicidal effects can contribute to fungal clearance, neither the activation of NK cells by fungal pathogens nor the effects of perforin on fungal cells are well-understood. In a dual approach, we have studied the global gene expression pattern of primary and cytokine activated NK cells after co-incubation with Candida albicans and the transcriptomic adaptation of C. albicans to perforin exposure. NK cells responded to the fungal pathogen with an up-regulation of genes involved in immune signaling and release of cytokines. Furthermore, we observed a pronounced increase of genes involved in glycolysis and glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose impaired C. albicans induced NK cell activation. This strongly indicates that metabolic adaptation is a major part of the NK cell response to C. albicans infections. In the fungal pathogen, perforin induced a strong up-regulation of several fungal genes involved in the zincdepletion response, such as PRA1 and ZRT1. These data suggest that fungal zinc homeostasis is linked to the reaction to perforin secreted by NK cells. However, deletion mutants in PRA1 and ZRT1 did not show altered susceptibility to perforin. PMID:27242763

Pathogen bacteria strains with wide spectrum can cause serious infections with drastic damages on humans. There are studies reflecting antibacterial effect of nanoparticles type metal or metal oxides as an alternative or concurrent treatment to the diseases caused by infectious agents. Synthesised nanoparticles using different methods like sol-gel, hydrothermal or plant extraction were tested following well-established protocols with the regard to their antimicrobial activity. It was found that zinc based nanoparticles possess strong synergistic effect with commonly used antibiotics on infection tratment.

Zinc Lithium Borate glasses of different composition were prepared with the aim of using it for thermoluminescence dosimetry. Melt quenching method was adopted in this process. Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy techniques were employed to investigate the infrared spectra and energy band gap of different composition of Zinc Lithium Borate glasses. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to confirm the amorphous nature of the glass samples. Glass forming ability and stability of the glass was checked using Differential thermal analysis (DTA). Density, molar volume, refractive index parameters have been analyzed in the light of different concentration of the modifier. The active vibrational modes of 1200-1600 cm-1 for B-O stretching of BO3 units, 800-1200 cm-1 for B-O stretching of BO4 units and 400-800 cm-1 for bending vibration of various borate segments were detected. Addition of ZnO to lithium borate shows its influence in converting the dominant BO3 group to BO4 group. BO4 are known for creating complex defects, a situation that established deep and stable traps good for thermoluminescence phenomena. From optical data, direct and indirect energy band gap has been calculated using the data obtained from UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. Both direct and indirect band gaps decrease with the increase of modifier Li2CO3.

Major-element abundances in 11 C, C?, and TCA cosmic dust particles have been measured using SEM and TEM energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) systems. The Fe/Ni ratio, when coupled with major element abundances, appears to be a useful discriminator of cosmic particles. Three particles classified as C?, but having Fe/Ni peak height ratios similar to those measured on the powdered Allende meteorite sample in their HSC EDX spectra, exhibit chondritic minor-/trace-element abundance patterns, suggesting they are extraterrestrial. The one particle classified as C-type, but without detectable Ni in its JSC EDX spectrum, exhibits an apparently nonchondritic minor-/trace-element abundance pattern. A class of particles that are chondritic except for large depletions in the volatile elements Zn and S has been identified. It is likely that these particles condensed with a C1 abundance pattern and that Zn and S were removed by some subsequent process.

Systemic and cellular zinc homeostasis is elaborately controlled by ZIP and ZnT zinc transporters. Therefore, detailed characterization of their expression properties is of importance. Of these transporter proteins, Zip4 functions as the primarily important transporter to control systemic zinc homeostasis because of its indispensable function of zinc absorption in the small intestine. In this study, we closely investigated Zip4 protein accumulation in the rat small intestine in response to zinc status using an anti-Zip4 monoclonal antibody that we generated and contrasted this with the zinc-responsive activity of the membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase (ALP). We found that Zip4 accumulation is more rapid in response to zinc deficiency than previously thought. Accumulation increased in the jejunum as early as 1 day following a zinc-deficient diet. In the small intestine, Zip4 protein expression was higher in the jejunum than in the duodenum and was accompanied by reduction of ALP activity, suggesting that the jejunum can become zinc deficient more easily. Furthermore, by monitoring Zip4 accumulation levels and ALP activity in the duodenum and jejunum, we reasserted that zinc deficiency during lactation may transiently alter plasma glucose levels in the offspring in a sex-specific manner, without affecting homeostatic control of zinc metabolism. This confirms that zinc nutrition during lactation is extremely important for the health of the offspring. These results reveal that rapid Zip4 accumulation provides a significant conceptual advance in understanding the molecular basis of systemic zinc homeostatic control, and that properties of Zip4 protein accumulation are useful to evaluate zinc status closely.

Zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO-NP) is one of the most widely used engineered nanoparticles. Upon exposure, nanoparticle can eventually reach the brain through various routes, interact with different brain cells, and alter their activity. Microglia is the fastest glial cell to respond to any toxic insult. Nanoparticle exposure can activate microglia and induce neuroinflammation. Simultaneous to activation, microglial death can exacerbate the scenario. Therefore, we focused on studying the effect of ZnO-NP on microglia and finding out the pathway involved in the microglial death. The present study showed that the 24 h inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) of ZnO-NP for microglia is 6.6 μg/ml. Early events following ZnO-NP exposure involved increase in intracellular calcium level as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Neither of NADPH oxidase inhibitors, apocynin, (APO) and diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPIC) were able to reduce the ROS level and rescue microglia from ZnO-NP toxicity. In contrary, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) showed opposite effect. Exogenous supplementation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) reduced ROS significantly even beyond control level but partially rescued microglial viability. Interestingly, pyruvate supplementation rescued microglia near to control level. Following 10 h of ZnO-NP exposure, intracellular ATP level was measured to be almost 50 % to the control. ZnO-NP-induced ROS as well as ATP depletion both disturbed mitochondrial membrane potential and subsequently triggered the apoptotic pathway. The level of apoptosis-inducing proteins was measured by western blot analysis and found to be upregulated. Taken together, we have deciphered that ZnO-NP induced microglial apoptosis by NADPH oxidase-independent ROS as well as ATP depletion.

We study the effect of the crystalline state of zinc oxide films, prepared by magnetron sputtering, on the efficiency of SAW transducers based on the layered system textured ZnO film-interdigital transducer (IDT)-fused quartz substrate. The crystalline perfection of the ZnO films was studied by the x-ray method using a DRON-2.0 diffractometer. The acoustic properties of the layered system fused quartz substrate-IDT-zinc oxide film were evaluated based on the squared electromechanical coupling constant K/sup 2/ for strip filters. It was found that K/sup 2/ depends on the magnitude of the mechanical stresses. When zinc oxide films are deposited by the method of magnetron deposition on fused quartz substrates, depending on the process conditions limitations can arise on the rate of deposition owing to mechanical stresses, which significantly degrade the efficiency of SAW transducers based on them, in the ZnO films.

Up to 80% of nosocomial infections are caused by biofilm-producing bacteria such as Staphylococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These types of microorganisms can become resistant to antibiotics and are difficult to eliminate. As such, there is tremendous interest in developing bioactive implant materials that can help to minimize these post- operative infections. Using water-based chemistry, we developed an economical, biodegradable and biocompatible orthopedic implant material consisting of zinc- doped hydroxyapatite (HA), which mimics the main inorganic component of the bone. Because the crystallinity of HA is typically too compact for efficient drug release, we substituted calcium ions in HA with zinc during the synthesis step to perturb the crystal structure. An added benefit is that zinc itself is a microelement of the human body with anti-inflammatory property, and we hypothesized that Zn-doped HA is an inherently antibacterial material. All HA samples were synthesized by a co-precipitation method using aqueous solutions of Zinc nitrate, Calcium Nitrate, and Ammonium Phosphate. XRD data showed that Zn was successfully incorporated into the HA. The effectiveness of Zn-doped HA against a model biofilm-forming bacterium is currently being evaluated using a wild-type strain and a streptomycin- resistant strain of Pseudomonas syringae pv. papulans (Psp) which is a plant pathogen isolated from diseased apples. Key words: Hydroxyapatite, Zinc, Citrate, Pseudomonas, Antibacterial.

The use of zinc in metal alloys and medicinal lotions dates back before the time of Christ. Currently, most of the commercial production of zinc involves the galvanizing of iron and the manufacture of brass. Some studies support the use of zinc gluconate lozenges to treat the common cold, but there are insufficient data at this time to recommend the routine use of these lozenges. Zinc is an essential co-factor in a variety of cellular processes including DNA synthesis, behavioral responses, reproduction, bone formation, growth, and wound healing. Zinc is a relatively common metal with an average concentration of 50 mg/kg soil and a range of 10-300 mg/kg soil. Meat, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and whole grains contain relatively high concentrations of zinc. The mobility of zinc in anaerobic environments is poor and therefore severe zinc contamination occurs primarily near points sources of zinc release. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 15 mg zinc. The ingestion of 1-2 g zinc sulfate produces emesis. Zinc compounds can produce irritation and corrosion of the gastrointestinal tract, along with acute renal tubular necrosis and interstitial nephritis. Inhalation of high concentrations of zinc chloride from smoke bombs detonated in closed spaces may cause chemical pneumonitis and adult respiratory distress syndrome. In the occupational setting inhalation of fumes from zinc oxide is the most common cause of metal fume fever (fatigue, chills, fever, myalgias, cough, dyspnea, leukocytosis, thirst, metallic taste, salivation). Zinc compounds are not suspected carcinogens. Treatment of zinc toxicity is supportive. Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (CaNa2EDTA) is the chelator of choice based on case reports that demonstrate normalization of zinc concentrations, but there are few clinical data to confirm the efficacy of this agent.

... pill" to help remove excess water from the body. Another effect of amiloride (Midamor) is that it can increase the amount of zinc in the body. Taking zinc supplements with amiloride (Midamor) might cause ...

UV photodetection devices have many important applications for uses in biological detection, gas sensing, weaponry detection, fire detection, chemical analysis, and many others. Today's photodetectors often utilize semiconductors such as GaAs to achieve high responsivity and sensitivity. Zinc oxide, unlike many other semiconductors, is cheap, abundant, non-toxic, and easy to grow different morphologies at the micro and nano scale. With the proliferation of these devices also comes the impending need to further study optics and photonics in relation to phononics and plasmonics, and the general principles underlying the interaction of photons with solid state matter and, specifically, semiconductors. For this research a metal-semiconductor-metal UV photodetector has been fabricated by using a quartz substrate on top of which was deposited micropatterned gold in an interdigitated electrode design. On this, sparsely coated zinc oxide nano trees were hydrothermally grown. The UV photodetection device showed promise for detection applications, especially because zinc oxide is also very thermally stable, a quality which is highly sought after in today's UV photodetectors. Furthermore, the newly synthesized photodetector was used to investigate optical properties and how they respond to different stimuli. It was discovered that the photons transmitted through the sparsely coated zinc oxide nano trees decreased as the voltage across the device increased. This research is aimed at better understanding photons interaction with matter and also to open the door for new devices with tunable optical properties such as transmission.

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nano-pikes were produced by oxidative evaporation and condensation of Zn powders. The crystalline structure and optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures (ZnONs) greatly depend on the deposition position of the ZnONs. TEM and XRD indicated that the ZnONs close to the reactor center, ZnON-A, has better crystalline structure than the ZnONs away from the center, ZnON-B. ZnON-A showed the PL and Raman spectra characteristic of perfect ZnO crystals, whereas ZnON-B produced very strong green emission band at 500 nm in the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum and very strong Raman scattering peak at 560 cm(-1), both related to the oxygen deficiency due to insufficient oxidation of zinc vapor. ZnON-B exhibited better field emission properties with higher emission current density and lower turn-on field than ZnON-A.

Zinc was recognized as an essential trace metal for humans during the studies of Iranian adolescent dwarfs in the early 1960s. Zinc metal existing as Zn2+ is a strong electron acceptor in biological systems without risks of oxidant damage to cells. Zn2+ functions in the structure of proteins and is ...

The paper deals with a new anticorrosion pigment, synthesized on a core-shell basis. For its syntheses a starting substance is used that forms the lamellar shaped core; namely lamellar zinc. The cover of the core is represented by zinc oxide, which is in fact partly oxidized lamellar zinc core, and is created during the calcination of the pigment. The compound that forms the top layer of the core, a ferrite, is also formed during calcination. The formula for the prepared pigment is then defined as MexZn1-xFe2O4/Zn and the formula of thin ferrite layer is MexZn1-xFe2O4 (where Me = Ca, Mg). Due to its shape, this anticorrosion pigment includes another anticorrosion effect, the so called "barrier effect". The mechanisms of anticorrosion effect, corrosion efficiency and mechanical properties were investigated for epoxy-ester paint systems with 10%pigment volume concentration (PVC). Mechanical tests were performed to determine the adhesiveness and mechanical resistance of paints and accelerated corrosion tests were carried out to evaluate efficiency against chemical degradation factors.

Zinc chromium ferrites with chemical formula ZnCr{sub x}Fe{sub 2−x}O{sub 4} (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) were prepared by Sol - Gel technique. The structural as well as magnetic properties of the synthesized samples have been studied and reported here. The structural characterizations of the samples were analyzed by using X – Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The single phase spinel cubic structure of all the prepared samples was tested by XRD and FTIR. The particle size was observed to decrease from 18.636 nm to 6.125 nm by chromium doping and induced a tensile strain in all the zinc chromium mixed ferrites. The magnetic properties of few samples (x = 0.0, 0.4, 1.0) were investigated using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM)

Discusses the role of zinc in various enzymes concerned with hydration, hydrolysis, and redox reactions. The binding of zinc to protein residues, properties of noncatalytic zinc(II) and catalytic zinc, and the reactions catalyzed by zinc are among the topics considered. (JN)

Starch-zinc complexes were synthesized by reaction of enzyme-modified starch with zinc acetate. The effect of reaction parameters such as hydrolysis rate, reaction temperature, reaction time, pH value, and concentration of zinc acetate on the zinc content and zinc conversion rate was studied. The zinc content and conversion rate of the product prepared under optimal conditions were 100.24 mg/g and 87.06%, respectively. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that the obtained starch-zinc complexes displayed a porous appearance. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and (13)C cross-polarization/magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C CP/MAS NMR) showed that zinc was mainly coordinated to the oxygen atoms of the glucose unit 6-CH2OH. The formation of starch-zinc complexes was also indirectly confirmed by the results of conductivity measurements. Thermal properties of the complexes were influenced by the zincatation process. This study revealed that nonallergenic starch might be used effectively as a carrier of zinc for zinc supplementation purpose.

Zinc iodide (ZnI2) crystalline thin film is produced with chemical bath deposition on substrates (commercial glass). The pH of chemical bath is scanned with controlled potassium hydroxide. Some properties of films changed with pH and changes of pH were analyzed. The pH values are scanned at 6.01-6.29. Transmittance, absorption, optical band gap and refractive index are investigated by UV/Vis. spectrum. The hexagonal and tetragonal form in structural properties in XRD at pH: 6.01 were seen. The pH of bath was up to 6.01, KZnI3ṡ2H2O (orthorhombic), KZnI3ṡ(H2O)2 (orthorhombic), ZnI2 (tetragonal) and ZnI2 (hexagonal) forms were observed in XRD patterns. The structural and optical properties of ZnI2 thin films analyzed at different pH. SEM analysis studied for surface analysis in films. The SEM analyses were agreed with XRD patterns. The optical band gap increased with pH between 3.4 and 3.6 eV. The film thickness changed with pH at 108-345 nm. Also refractive index and transmission generally increased with pH.

Black zinc selective solar absorber coatings with solar absorptance 0.94 and thermal emittance 0.21 have been prepared by the reactive rf sputtering of Zn targets in Ar-02 atmospheres. For these films the zinc to oxygen ratio is greater than one and the films are composed of both zinc and zinc oxide. The surface microstructure of the films considerably enhances the short wavelength absorptance properties. The coatings represent a possible low-cost selective absorber for flat plate and evacuated tube solar collector applications.

We fabricated depletion type, transparent amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) and inverters with an Ar plasma treatment and analyzed their scaling characteristics with channel lengths ranging from 2 to 100 µm. The improvement of the field-effect mobility of a-IGZO TFTs is apparent only for short channel lengths. There is also an unexpected side effect of the Ar plasma treatment, which introduces back-channel interfacial states and induces a positive shift in the threshold voltage of a-IGZO TFTs. The resulting increase in the field-effect mobility and the positive shift in the threshold voltage of each TFT increase the differential gain up to 3 times and the positive shift in the transient point of the transparent inverters.

The degree of heating of interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) on Earth atmospheric entry is important in distinguishing cometary particles from main-belt asteroidal particles. Depletions in the volatile elements S and Zn were proposed as chemical indicators of significant entry heating. The S and Zn contents of cosmic dust particles were correlated with physical indicators of atmospheric entry heating, such as the production of magnetite and the loss of solar wind implanted He. The results indicate that the Zn content of IDP's is a useful indicator of entry heating, but the S content seems to be less useful.

High-precision Zn isotopic compositions measured by MC-ICP-MS are documented for 32 iron meteorites from various fractionally crystallized and silicate-bearing groups. The δ66Zn values range from -0.59‰ up to +5.61‰ with most samples being slightly enriched in the heavier isotopes compared with carbonaceous chondrites (0 < δ66Zn < 0.5). The δ66Zn versus δ68Zn plot of all samples defines a common linear fractionation line, which supports the hypothesis that Zn was derived from a single reservoir or from multiple reservoirs linked by mass-dependent fractionation processes. Our data for Redfields fall on a mass fractionation line and therefore refute a previous claim of it having an anomalous isotopic composition due to nonmixing of nucleosynthetic products. The negative correlation between δ66Zn and the Zn concentration of IAB and IIE is consistent with mass-dependent isotopic fractionation due to evaporation with preferential loss of lighter isotopes in the vapor phase. Data for the Zn concentrations and isotopic compositions of two IVA samples demonstrate that volatile depletion in the IVA parent body is not likely the result of evaporation. This is important evidence that favors the incomplete condensation origin for the volatile depletion of the IVA parent body.

Several water-solubilized versions of the zinc ionophore 1-hydroxypyridine-2-thione (ZnHPT), synthesized as part of the present study, have been found both to increase the intracellular concentrations of free zinc and to produce an antiproliferative activity in exponential phase A549 human lung cancer cultures. Gene expression profiles of A549 cultures treated with one of these water-soluble zinc ionophores, PCI-5002, reveal the activation of stress response pathways under the control of metal-responsive transcription factor 1 (MTF-1), hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1 (HIF-1), and heat shock transcription factors. Additional oxidative stress response and apoptotic pathways were activated in cultures grown in zinc-supplemented media. We also show that these water-soluble zinc ionophores can be given to mice at 100 micromol/kg (300 micromol/m(2)) with no observable toxicity and inhibit the growth of A549 lung and PC3 prostate cancer cells grown in xenograft models. Gene expression profiles of tumor specimens harvested from mice 4 h after treatment confirmed the in vivo activation of MTF-1-responsive genes. Overall, we propose that water-solubilized zinc ionophores represent a potential new class of anticancer agents.

The production and purification of a tetrameric zinc beta-lactamase from Pseudomonas maltophilia IID 1275 were greatly improved. Three charge variants were isolated by chromatofocusing. The subunits each contain two atomic proportions of zinc and (in two of the variants) one residue of cysteine. The thiol group is not required for activity, nor does it appear to bind to the metal. Replacement of zinc by cobalt, cadmium or nickel takes place at a measurable rate, and gives enzymes that are less active than the zinc enzyme. The properties of this enzyme differ from those of the other known zinc beta-lactamase, beta-lactamase II from Bacillus cereus. The amino acid sequence of the N-terminal 32 residues was determined; there is no similarity to the N-terminal sequences of other beta-lactamases. PMID:3931629

Zinc is effective in the prevention and treatment of post-weaning diarrhoea and in promoting piglet growth. Its effects on the absorption of nutrients and the secretory capacity of the intestinal epithelium are controversial. We investigated the effects of age, dietary pharmacological zinc supplementation and acute zinc exposure in vitro on small-intestinal transport properties of weaned piglets. We further examined whether the effect of zinc on secretory responses depended on the pathway by which chloride secretion is activated. A total of 96 piglets were weaned at 26 days of age and allocated to diets containing three different levels of zinc oxide (50, 150 and 2500 ppm). At the age of 32, 39, 46 and 53 days, piglets were killed, and isolated epithelia from the mid-jejunum were used for intestinal transport studies in conventional Ussing chambers, with 23 μm ZnSO4 being added to the serosal side for testing acute effects. Absorptive transport was stimulated by mucosal addition of d-glucose or l-glutamine. Secretion was activated by serosal addition of prostaglandin E2 , carbachol or by mucosal application of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (Stp ). Jejunal transport properties showed significant age-dependent alterations (p < 0.03). Both absorptive and secretory responses were highest in the youngest piglets (32 d). The dietary zinc supplementation had no significant influence on jejunal absorptive and secretory responses. However, the pre-treatment of epithelia with ZnSO4 in vitro led to a small but significant decrease in both absorptive and secretory capacities (p < 0.05), with an exception for carbachol (p = 0.07). The results showed that, in piglets, chronic supplementation with zinc did not sustainably influence the jejunal transport properties in the post-weaning phase. Because transport properties are influenced by the addition of zinc in vitro, we suggest that possible epithelial effects of zinc depend on the acute presence of this ion.

There is no consensus about whether making muscles abnormally large by reducing myostatin activity affects force-generating capacity or the ability to perform activities requiring muscular endurance. We therefore examined grip force, contractile properties of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles, and voluntary wheel running in mice in which myostatin was depleted after normal muscle development. Cre recombinase activity was induced to knock out exon 3 of the myostatin gene in 4-mo-old mice in which this exon was flanked by loxP sequences (Mstn[f/f]). Control mice with normal myostatin genes (Mstn[w/w]) received the same Cre-activating treatment. Myostatin depletion increased the mass of all muscles that were examined (gastrocnemius, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, EDL, soleus, triceps) by approximately 20-40%. Grip force, measured multiple times 2-22 wk after myostatin knockout, was not consistently greater in the myostatin-deficient mice. EDL contractile properties were determined 7-13 mo after myostatin knockout. Twitch force tended to be greater in myostatin-deficient muscles (+24%; P=0.09), whereas tetanic force was not consistently elevated (mean +11%; P=0.36), even though EDL mass was greater than normal in all myostatin-deficient mice (mean +36%; P<0.001). The force deficit induced by eccentric contractions was approximately twofold greater in myostatin-deficient than in normal EDL muscles (31% vs. 16% after five eccentric contractions; P=0.02). Myostatin-deficient mice ran 19% less distance (P<0.01) than control mice during the 12 wk following myostatin depletion, primarily because of fewer running bouts per night rather than diminished running speed or bout duration. Reduced specific tension (ratio of force to mass) and reduced running have been observed after muscle hypertrophy was induced by other means, suggesting that they are characteristics generally associated with abnormally large muscles rather than unique effects of myostatin deficiency.

In this study, a new hierarchical nanostructure that consists of zinc oxide (ZnO) was produced by the electrospinning process followed by a hydrothermal technique. First, electrospinning of a colloidal solution that consisted of zinc nanoparticles, zinc acetate dihydrate and poly(vinyl alcohol) was performed to produce polymeric nanofibers embedding solid nanoparticles. Calcination of the obtained electrospun nanofiber mats in air at 500 °C for 90 min produced pure ZnO nanofibers with rough surfaces. The rough surface strongly enhanced outgrowing of ZnO nanobranches when a specific hydrothermal technique was used. Methylene blue dihydrate was used to check the photocatalytic ability of the produced nanostructures. The results indicated that the hierarchical nanostructure had a better performance than the other form.

The effect of size and temperature on the tensile mechanical properties of zinc blende CdSe nanowires is investigated by all atoms molecular dynamic simulation. We found the ultimate tensile strength and Young's modulus will decrease as the temperature and size of the nanowire increase. The size and temperature dependence are mainly attributed to surface effect and thermally elongation effect. High reversibility of tensile behavior will make zinc blende CdSe nanowires suitable for building efficient nanodevices.

A series of mixed ligand-based zinc complexes (Zn1-Zn5); [(8-hydroxyquinolinato)(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazolato)zinc(II)] (Zn1), [(5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinolinato)(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazolato)zinc(II)] (Zn2), [(5,7-dichloro-8-hydroxyquinolinato)(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazolato)zinc(II)] (Zn3), [(2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinolinato)(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazolato)zinc(II)] (Zn4) and [(5,7-dimethyl-8-hydroxyquinolinato)(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazolato)zinc(II)] (Zn5) were synthesized and characterized. The photophysical properties of zinc complexes were examined by ultraviolet-visible absorption and photoluminescence emission spectroscopy. All prepared metal complexes produced intense luminescence on excitation with a UV light source. In this study, the color-tunable characteristics of metal complexes were investigated by introducing the electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups on the 8-hydroxyquinoline ligand. The emission spectra of metal complexes showed emission wavelength at 500 nm for [ZnHBI(q)], 509 nm for [ZnHBI(Clq)], 504 nm for [Zn(HBI)(Cl2q)], 496 nm for [ZnHBI (Meq)] and 573 nm for [ZnHBI(Me2Q)] materials. A temperature-dependent PL spectrum was used to study the emission profile of zinc complex and observed that variation in the temperature altered the position and the intensity of emission peak. The synthesized metal complex also exhibited good thermal stability (>300°C). Photophysical characteristics of color-tunable light-emitting zinc complexes suggested that these materials could be efficiently used for emissive display device applications.

To research the relationship of micro-structures and antibacterial properties of the titanium-doped ZnO powders and probe their antibacterial mechanism, titanium-doped ZnO powders with different shapes and sizes were prepared from different zinc salts by alcohothermal method. The ZnO powders were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and the antibacterial activities of titanium-doped ZnO powders on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated. Furthermore, the tested strains were characterized by SEM, and the electrical conductance variation trend of the bacterial suspension was characterized. The results indicate that the morphologies of the powders are different due to preparation from different zinc salts. The XRD results manifest that the samples synthesized from zinc acetate, zinc nitrate, and zinc chloride are zincite ZnO, and the sample synthesized from zinc sulfate is the mixture of ZnO, ZnTiO3, and ZnSO4 · 3Zn (OH)2 crystal. UV-vis spectra show that the absorption edges of the titanium-doped ZnO powders are red shifted to more than 400 nm which are prepared from zinc acetate, zinc nitrate, and zinc chloride. The antibacterial activity of titanium-doped ZnO powders synthesized from zinc chloride is optimal, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) are lower than 0.25 g L-1. Likewise, when the bacteria are treated by ZnO powders synthesized from zinc chloride, the bacterial cells are damaged most seriously, and the electrical conductance increment of bacterial suspension is slightly high. It can be inferred that the antibacterial properties of the titanium-doped ZnO powders are relevant to the microstructure, particle size, and the crystal. The powders can damage the cell

To research the relationship of micro-structures and antibacterial properties of the titanium-doped ZnO powders and probe their antibacterial mechanism, titanium-doped ZnO powders with different shapes and sizes were prepared from different zinc salts by alcohothermal method. The ZnO powders were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and the antibacterial activities of titanium-doped ZnO powders on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated. Furthermore, the tested strains were characterized by SEM, and the electrical conductance variation trend of the bacterial suspension was characterized. The results indicate that the morphologies of the powders are different due to preparation from different zinc salts. The XRD results manifest that the samples synthesized from zinc acetate, zinc nitrate, and zinc chloride are zincite ZnO, and the sample synthesized from zinc sulfate is the mixture of ZnO, ZnTiO3, and ZnSO4 · 3Zn (OH)2 crystal. UV-vis spectra show that the absorption edges of the titanium-doped ZnO powders are red shifted to more than 400 nm which are prepared from zinc acetate, zinc nitrate, and zinc chloride. The antibacterial activity of titanium-doped ZnO powders synthesized from zinc chloride is optimal, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) are lower than 0.25 g L−1. Likewise, when the bacteria are treated by ZnO powders synthesized from zinc chloride, the bacterial cells are damaged most seriously, and the electrical conductance increment of bacterial suspension is slightly high. It can be inferred that the antibacterial properties of the titanium-doped ZnO powders are relevant to the microstructure, particle size, and the crystal. The powders can damage the

With the miniaturization of crystal size, the fraction of under-coordinated surface atoms becomes dominant, and hence, materials in the nano-regime behave very differently from the similar material in a bulk. Zinc oxide (ZnO), particularly, exhibits extraordinary properties such as a wide direct band gap (3.37 eV), large excitation binding energy (60 meV), low refractive index (1.9), stability to intense ultraviolet (UV) illumination, resistance to high-energy irradiation, and lower toxicity as compared to other semiconductors. This very property makes Zinc Oxide a potential candidate in many application fields, particularly as a prominent semiconductor. Zinc Oxide plays a significant role in many technological advances with its application in semiconductor mediated photocatalytic processes and sensor, solar cells and others. In present study, Zinc Oxide (ZnO) has been synthesized using three different precursors by sonochemical method. Zinc Acetate Dihydrate, Zinc Nitrate Hexahydrate and Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate used as a precursor for the synthesis process. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticle has been found under the range of ˜50 nm. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were characterized using different characterizing tools. The as-synthesized ZnO was characterized by Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the determination of functional group; Scanning Electron Microscopy equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) for Morphology and elemental detection respectively, Transmission Electron Microscopy for Particle size distribution and morphology and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) for the confirmation of crystal structure of the nanomaterial. The optical properties of the ZnO were examined by UV-VIS spectroscopy equipped with Diffuse Reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) confirmed the optical band gap of ZnO-3 around 3.23 eV resembles with the band gap of bulk ZnO (3.37eV). The TEM micrograph of the as-synthesized material showed perfectly spherical shaped

A new low symmetry, Zn phthalocyanine monosubstituted with diethylaminoethanethiol (mDEAET ZnPc) was synthesized and characterized. This work reports on its photophysical and photochemical properties of mDEAET ZnPc alone and when conjugated to gold coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanohexagons (ZnO NHXs). The photophysicochemical properties generally improved in the presence of the ZnO NHXs. These complexes were also tested for their photodynamic antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The Pc alone showed remarkable growth inhibition even at concentrations as low as 0.05 mg/mL. The conjugates showed a high photoinactivation of S. aureus after 30 min at a fluence of 90 mW cm-2 at a concentration of 0.05 mg/mL. The ZnPc-ZnO NHX conjugates produced the best antimicrobial results.

Zinc borate (2ZnO.3B{sub 2}O{sub 3}.3.5H{sub 2}O) has relatively high dehydration on-set temperature which property permits processing in a wide range of polymer system. But zinc borate particles are hardly dispersed in a polymer matrix so that they prevent their using in industry. To address this problem, we synthesized hydrophobic zinc borate (2ZnO.3B{sub 2}O{sub 3}.3.5H{sub 2}O) nanoflakes by employing solid-liquid reaction of zinc oxide (ZnO) and boric acid (H{sub 3}BO{sub 3}) in the presence of oleic acid. This method does not bring pollution. By conducting morphological and microscopic analyses, we found that this compound displayed nanoflake morphology with particle size of around 100-200 nm, thickness less than 100 nm and there were uniform mesopores with the diameter about 10 nm within the particles. Furthermore, our products had an effect on flame retardant of polyethylene, especially when the zinc borate was modified by oleic acid. - Graphical abstract: The contact angle of hydrophobic zinc borate nanoflakes is 129.02 deg. with added 2.0 wt% of oleic acid.

Third order nonlinear optical characterization of bismuth zinc borate glasses are reported here using different laser pulse durations. Bismuth zinc borate glasses with compositions xBi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30ZnO-(70-x) B{sub 2}O{sub 3} (where x = 30, 35, 40, and 45 mol. %) have been prepared by melt quenching method. These glasses were characterized by Raman, UV-Vis absorption, and Z scan measurements. Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopic results indicate that non-bridging oxygens increase with increase of bismuth content in the glass. Nonlinear absorption and refraction behavior in the nanosecond (ns), picosecond (ps), and femtosecond (fs) time domains were studied in detail. Strong reverse saturable absorption due to dominant two-photon absorption (TPA) was observed with both ps and fs excitations. In the case of ns pulse excitations, TPA and free-carrier absorption processes contribute for the nonlinear absorption. Two-photon absorption coefficient (β) and the absorption cross section due to free carriers (σ{sub e}) are estimated by theoretical fit of the open aperture Z-scan measurements and found to be dependent on the amount of bismuth oxide in the glass composition. In both ns and fs regimes the sign and magnitude of the third order nonlinearity are evaluated, and the optical limiting characteristics are also reported.

This dissertation focuses on the properties and structures of ternary zinc phosphate glasses that have recently been investigated as substrates for femto-second (fs) laser writing. Although these glasses have potential for use as optical substrates, their poor chemical properties limit their applications. In this work, ternary zinc phosphate glasses were studied to find compositions with enhanced chemical durability and the properties and structures of the investigated glasses are reported. Paper 1 and Paper 2 include the first systematic studies of the properties, structures of zinc aluminophosphate (ZAP) glasses and phase relationships in the ZnO-Al2O3-P2O5 system, respectively. Adding alumina to a Zn-metaphosphate glass reduces dissolution rates in water by 4 orders of magnitude and increases the glass transition temperatures. The average Al coordination number can be predicted from a structural model that considers the number of non-bridging oxygens to coordinate metal cations, and this work is the first reported use of this model for a ternary phosphate glass. Paper 3 is the first systematic study of how the properties and structures of zinc magnesium polyphosphate glasses change when MgO replaces ZnO for compositions with fixed O/P ratios. The Mg2+ and Zn2+ ions have similar field strengths, but have much different effects on glass properties that are discussed in terms of relative polarizabilities (refractivities) and electron configurations of the Mg2+ and Zn2+ ions. In Paper 4, the creation of electronic defects in zinc phosphate glasses by exposure to ultraviolet and x-ray radiation is described. The nature of the defects formed is dependent on the glass composition and similar defects are created when these glasses are exposed to femto-second laser radiation.

The conformational properties of unbound multi-Cys2 His2 (mC2H2) zinc finger proteins, in which zinc finger domains are connected by flexible linkers, are studied by a multiscale approach. Three methods on different length scales are utilized. First, atomic detail molecular dynamics simulations of one zinc finger and its adjacent flexible linker confirmed that the zinc finger is more rigid than the flexible linker. Second, the end-to-end distance distributions of mC2H2 zinc finger proteins are computed using an efficient atomistic pivoting algorithm, which only takes excluded volume interactions into consideration. The end-to-end distance distribution gradually changes its profile, from left-tailed to right-tailed, as the number of zinc fingers increases. This is explained by using a worm-like chain model. For proteins of a few zinc fingers, an effective bending constraint favors an extended conformation. Only for proteins containing more than nine zinc fingers, is a somewhat compacted conformation preferred. Third, a mesoscale model is modified to study both the local and the global conformational properties of multi-C2H2 zinc finger proteins. Simulations of the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), an important mC2H2 zinc finger protein for genome spatial organization, are presented.

The properties of the dusts of electric-arc melting in the Severstal' metallurgical works are studied by X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The elemental compositions of dust particles of various sizes are determined, and the complex structural composition of iron-containing oxide phases is revealed. It is shown that, in these systems, the carbon reduction of zinc from zincite is possible in the solid state in the temperature range 600-1000°C. In this case, zinc passes into a gaseous phase and iron oxides are reduced to form metallic iron.

Aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) nanostructured thin films are prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on glass substrate using specifically designed ZnO target containing different amount of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder as the Al doping source. The optical properties of the aluminium doped zinc oxide films are investigated. The topography of the deposited films were investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy. Variation of the refractive index by annealing temperature are considered and it is seen that the refractive index increases by increasing the annealing temperature.

In presented studies resistive chlorine gas sensor with gas sensitive layer in the form of zinc oxide microrods doped with platinum was developed. The growth of active layer was carried out in water solution containing zinc nitrate (V), hexamethylenetetramine and chloroplatinic acid using the chemical bath deposition method. The structure and morphology of obtained sensors was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). To determine the chlorine gas sensing properties Temperature-Stimulated Conductance method (TSC) was used. During the measurements sensor was tested in a reference atmosphere and an atmosphere with 2, 5 or 8 ppm of chlorine. Obtained results have shown that zinc oxide microrods doped with platinum were obtained. TSC measurements showed that developed sensor allows to detect chlorine with very good sensitivity.

The effect of the solvents on particle size and morphology of ZnO is investigated. The optical properties of nano ZnO were studied extensively. During this study, zinc oxalate was prepared in aqueous and organic solvents using zinc acetate and oxalic acid as precursors. The thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA) showed formation of ZnO at 400 deg. C. Nano-size zinc oxide was obtained by thermal decomposition of aqueous and organic mediated zinc oxalate at 450 deg. C. The phase purity was confirmed by XRD and crystal size determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was found to be 22-25 nm for the aqueous and 14 -17 nm in organic mediated ZnO. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) also revealed different nature of surfaces and microstructures for zinc oxide obtained in aqueous and organic solvents. The UV absorption spectra showed sharp absorption peaks with a blue shift for organic mediated ZnO, due to monodispersity and lower particle size. Sharp peaks and absence of any impurity peaks in photoluminescence spectra (PLS) complement the above observations.

Zinc oxide thin films were deposited on soda lime glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition in an oxygen-reactive atmosphere at 20 Pa and a constant substrate temperature at 300 °C. A pulsed KrF excimer laser, operated at 248 nm with pulse duration 10 ns, was used to ablate the ceramic zinc oxide target. The structure, the optical and electrical properties of the as-deposited films were studied in dependence of the laser energy density in the 1.2-2.8 J/cm 2 range, with the aid of X-ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscope, Transmission Spectroscopy techniques, and the Van der Pauw method, respectively. The results indicated that the structural and optical properties of the zinc oxide films were improved by increasing the laser energy density of the ablating laser. The surface roughness of the zinc oxide film increased with the decrease of laser energy density and both the optical bang gap and the electrical resistivity of the film were significantly affected by the laser energy density.

The spectral reflectance properties of electroplated and chemically converted zinc were measured for both chromate and chloride conversion coatings. The reflectance properties were measured for various times of conversion and for conversion at various chromate concentrations. The values of absorptance, alpha, integrated over the solar spectrum, and of infrared emittance, epsilon, integrated over black body radiation at 250 F were then calculated from the measured reflectance values. The interdependent variations of alpha and epsilon were plotted. The results indicate that the optimum combination of the highest absorptance in the solar spectrum and the lowest emittance in the infrared of the converted electroplated zinc is produced by chromate conversion at 1/2 concentration of the standard NEOSTAR chromate black solution for 0.50 minute or by chloride conversion for 0.50 minute.

Zinc ferrite nanocrystals were synthesized from metal chloride precursors via chemical co-precipitation method, using different synthesis conditions. Characterization measurements including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and super conductiong quantum device (SQUID) were used to study the influence of precursor's concentration and reaction time on the crystalline structure, average sizes and magnetic properties of zinc ferrite nanoparticles. The transmission images show spherical, homogenous shape and particle size ranging from 16 to 22 nm. DC magnetization (2-300 K) measurements reveal a superparamagnetic behavior for the ZnFe2O4 samples with a blocking temperature in the range of 18-24 K. Our results demonstrate that magnetic properties of magnetic particles can be largely modified by just changing the reaction condition such as concentration and reaction time, which might be a useful way to design novel magnetic materials.

The spectral reflectance properties of electroplated and chemically converted zinc were measured for both chromate and chloride conversion coatings. The reflectance properties were measured for various times of conversion and for conversion at various chromate concentrations. The values of absorptance, integrated over the solar spectrum, and of infrared emittance, integrated over black body radiation at 250 F were then calculated from the measured reflectance values. The interdependent variations of absorptance and infrared emittance were plotted. The results indicate that the optimum combination of the highest absorptance in the solar spectrum and the lowest emittance in the infrared of the converted electroplated zinc is produced by chromate conversion at 1/2 concentration of the standard NEOSTAR chromate black solution for 0.50 minute or by chloride conversion for 0.50 minute.

Zinc Oxide nanoparticles are synthesized using DNA as capping agent. Zinc oxide nanoparticles are synthesized using DNA as a capping agent. Structural and morphological characterizations are done using SEM, FTIR and XRD. The particle size and lattice parameters are calculated from the diffraction data. The optical properties are studied using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and bandgap variation with temperature is determined. The dielectric property of nanoparticles is studied by varying temperature and frequency. The dielectric constant and dispersion parameters are found out. Method of Cole-Cole analysis is used to study the high temperature dispersion of relaxation time. The variation of both AC and DC conductivity are studied and activation energy calculated.

Photophysical and photochemical properties of a series of tetra- and octaglycosylated zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) substituted with glucose and galactose moieties have been reported. Spectral properties of these phthalocyanines are compared in DMSO. Absorption spectra of the non-peripherally tetra-substituted ZnPcs 2 showed a significant red shift in their Q-band maxima as compared to the peripherally substituted analog 1. All the complexes gave high triplet quantum yields ranging from 0.68 to 0.88, whereas triplet lifetimes were in the range of 100-430 μs in argon-saturated solutions. The octagalactosylated ZnPc 3b showed the highest triplet quantum yield and singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.88 and 0.69, respectively. The fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes of all the compounds under investigation were within the range of zinc phthalocyanine complexes.

With the gradual depletion of zinc sulfide ores, exploration of zinc oxide ores is becoming more and more important. Hemimorphite is a major zinc oxide ore, attracting much attention in the field of zinc metallurgy although it is not the major zinc mineral. This paper presents a critical review of the treatment for extraction of zinc with emphasis on flotation, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods based on the properties of hemimorphite. The three-dimensional framework structure of hemimorphite with complex linkage of its structural units lead to difficult desilicification before extracting zinc in the many metallurgical technologies. It is found that the flotation method is generally effective in enriching zinc minerals from hemimorphite ores into a high-grade concentrate for recovery of zinc. Pure zinc can be produced from hemimorphite or/and willemite with a reducing reagent, like methane or carbon. Leaching reagents, such as acid and alkali, can break the complex structure of hemimorphite to release zinc in the leached solution without generation of silica gel in the hydrometallurgical process. For optimal zinc extraction, combing flotation with pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical methods may be required.

Background We characterize a novel nanocomposite that acts as an efficient anticancer agent. Methods This nanocomposite consists of zinc layered hydroxide intercalated with protocatechuate (an anionic form of protocatechuic acid), that has been synthesized using a direct method with zinc oxide and protocatechuic acid as precursors. Results The resulting protocatechuic acid nanocomposite (PAN) showed a basal spacing of 12.7 Å, indicating that protocatechuate was intercalated in a monolayer arrangement, with an angle of 54° from the Z-axis between the interlayers of the zinc layered hydroxide, and an estimated drug loading of about 35.7%. PAN exhibited the properties of a mesoporous type material, with greatly enhanced thermal stability of protocatechuate as compared to its free counterpart. The presence of protocatechuate in the interlayers of the zinc layered hydroxide was further supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Protocatechuate was released from PAN in a slow and sustained manner. This mechanism of release was well represented by a pseudo-second order kinetics model. PAN has shown increased cytotoxicity compared to the free form of protocatechuic acid in all cancer cell lines tested. Tumor growth suppression was extensive, particularly in HepG2 and HT29 cell lines. Conclusion PAN is suitable for use as a controlled release formulation, and our in vitro evidence indicates that PAN is an effective anticancer agent. PAN may have potential as a chemotherapeutic drug for human cancer. PMID:25061291

The development of eco-friendly alternative to chemical synthesis of metal nanoparticles is of great challenge among researchers. The present study aimed to investigate the biological synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial study and synergistic effect of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles against clinical pathogens using Pichia fermentans JA2. The extracellular biosynthesis of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles was investigated using Pichia fermentans JA2 isolated from spoiled fruit pulp bought in Vellore local market. The crystalline and stable metallic nanoparticles were characterized evolving several analytical techniques including UV-visible spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction pattern analysis and FE-scanning electron microscope with EDX-analysis. The biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles were tested for their antimicrobial property against medically important Gram positive, Gram negative and fungal pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, the biosynthesized nanoparticles were also evaluated for their increased antimicrobial activities with various commercially available antibiotics against clinical pathogens. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles inhibited most of the Gram negative clinical pathogens, whereas zinc oxide nanoparticles were able to inhibit only Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The combined effect of standard antibiotic disc and biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles enhanced the inhibitory effect against clinical pathogens. The biological synthesis of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles is a novel and cost-effective approach over harmful chemical synthesis techniques. The metallic nanoparticles synthesized using Pichia fermentans JA2 possess potent inhibitory effect that offers valuable contribution to pharmaceutical associations.

Through coupled experimental analysis and computational techniques, we uncover the origin of anodic stability for a range of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes. By examination of electrochemical, structural, and transport properties of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes with varying concentrations, it is demonstrated that the acetonitrile Zn(TFSI)2, acetonitrile Zn(CF3SO3)2, and propylene carbonate Zn(TFSI)2 electrolytes can not only support highly reversible Zn deposition behavior on a Zn metal anode (≥99% of Coulombic efficiency), but also provide high anodic stability (up to ~3.8 V). The predicted anodic stability from DFT calculations is well in accordance with experimental results, and elucidates that the solvents play an importantmore » role in anodic stability of most electrolytes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to understand the solvation structure (e.g., ion solvation and ionic association) and its effect on dynamics and transport properties (e.g., diffusion coefficient and ionic conductivity) of the electrolytes. Lastly, the combination of these techniques provides unprecedented insight into the origin of the electrochemical, structural, and transport properties in nonaqueous zinc electrolytes« less

Through coupled experimental analysis and computational techniques, we uncover the origin of anodic stability for a range of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes. By examination of electrochemical, structural, and transport properties of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes with varying concentrations, it is demonstrated that the acetonitrile Zn(TFSI)2, acetonitrile Zn(CF3SO3)2, and propylene carbonate Zn(TFSI)2 electrolytes can not only support highly reversible Zn deposition behavior on a Zn metal anode (≥99% of Coulombic efficiency), but also provide high anodic stability (up to ~3.8 V). The predicted anodic stability from DFT calculations is well in accordance with experimental results, and elucidates that the solvents play an important role in anodic stability of most electrolytes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to understand the solvation structure (e.g., ion solvation and ionic association) and its effect on dynamics and transport properties (e.g., diffusion coefficient and ionic conductivity) of the electrolytes. Lastly, the combination of these techniques provides unprecedented insight into the origin of the electrochemical, structural, and transport properties in nonaqueous zinc electrolytes

The present dissertation investigates the relationship between the structure and thermoelectric properties of ZnO based materials, with a focus on trivalent element doping on engineering the microstructure and altering the electrical and thermal transport properties. Within the solubility range, the addition of trivalent elements, such as In3+, Fe 3+ and Ga3+, is observed to increase the electrical conductivity of ZnO and decrease the thermal conductivity. As the solubility is exceeded, the consequent structure and thermoelectric properties varies with dopant species. The ZnO-In2O3 binary system, which we have chosen as one of the model systems, is of particular interests as it contains a variety of phase equilibria and microstructures. The In2O3(ZnO)k superlattice structures, which form as the indium solubility is reached, are observed to strongly scatter phonons while relatively permissive to electrons, resulting in a low thermal conductivity of about 2 W/mK and improved electrical conductivity. The thermal (Kapitza) resistance of In2O3(ZnO)k superlattice interfaces is found to be 5.0 +/- 0.6 x 10-10 m 2K/W by fitting the modified Klemens-Callaway's thermal conductivity model to the experimental data. Across the phase diagram, the materials behave as n-type free-electron semiconductors at high temperatures. An effective medium approximation model is for the first time successfully tested on the thermoelectrics of two-phase regions. Both Fe2O3-ZnO and Ga2O3-ZnO binary systems are also investigated. In the Fe doped ZnO system, a highly Fe concentrated ZnO solid solution phase as well as the significant grain refinement are observed after high temperature annealing. The Ga2O 3(ZnO)9 homologous superlattices in Ga2O 3-ZnO system is also found to strongly scatter phonons and induces a drastic reduction in thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity, as one of the key factors in thermoelectrics, is highly sensitive to material defects. In this dissertation, I also

NixZn1-xFe2O4 ferrite has been synthesized by the ceramic method using Ni CO3, ZnO, Fe2O3 precursors. The influence of Ni content on the structural, morphological, electrical and magnetic properties of NixZn1-xFe2O4 ferrites is studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the samples are polycrystalline with spinel cubic structure. The SEM images of NixZn1-xFe2O4 ferrite show that the grain size decreases with an increase in the Ni content. The tetrahedral and octahedral vibrations in the samples are studied by IR spectra. Frequency dependence of dielectric constant shows dielectric dispersion due to the Maxwell-Wagner type of interfacial polarization. Conduction mechanism due to polarons has been analyzed by measuring the AC conductivity. Impedance spectroscopy is used to study the electrical behavior. Magnetic properties of NixZn1-xFe2O4 are studied by using hysteresis loop measurement. The maximum value of saturation magnetization of 132.8 emu/g obtained for the composition, x=0.8, is attributed to magnetic moment of Fe3+ ions.

We report the first instance of a hydrothermal synthesis of zinc germanate (Zn{sub 2}GeO{sub 4}) nano-materials having a variety of morphologies and photochemical properties in surfactant, template and catalyst-free conditions. A systematic variation of synthesis conditions and detailed characterization using X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering led to a better understanding of the growth of these particles from solution. At 140 {sup o}C, the zinc germanate particle morphology changes with pH from flower-shaped at pH 6.0, to poly-disperse nano-rods at pH 10 when the Zn to Ge ratio in the synthesis solution is 2. When the Zn to Ge ratio is reduced to 1.25, mono-disperse nano-rods could be prepared at pH 7.5. Nanorod formation is also independent of the addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), in contrast to previous reports. Photocatalytic tests show that Zn{sub 2}GeO{sub 4} nano-rods (by weight) and flower shaped (by surface area) are the most active for methylene blue dye degradation among the synthesized zinc germanate materials. -- Graphical abstract: Zinc germanate materials were synthesized possessing unique morphologies dependent on the hydrothermal synthesis conditions in the absence of surfactant, catalyst or template. These novel materials are characterized and evaluated for their photocatalytic activities. Display Omitted highlights: > Zinc germanate synthesized hydrothermally (surfactant free) with unique morphologies. > Flower-shaped, nano-rods, globular particles obtained dependent on synthesis pH. > At 140 {sup o}C, they possess the rhombohedral crystal irrespective of synthesis conditions. > They are photocatalytically active for the degradation of methylene blue. > Potential applications could be photocatalytic water splitting and CO{sub 2} reduction.

The thermal stability, oxygen depletion and tensile properties of low density polyethylene (LDPE) resins filled with ascorbic acid (Vc), sodium ascorbate (SA), iron (Fe) and modified iron (MFe) oxygen scavengers were systematically investigated. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results clearly suggest that the thermal stability of SA powder and L95(SA)5 specimen is significantly better than that of Vc powder and L95(Vc)5 specimen, respectively. The oxygen depletion efficiency of L95(SA)5 is significantly better than that of L95(Vc)5, L95(Fe)5 and L95(MFe)5 specimens, although the virgin SA powders exhibit worse oxygen depletion efficiency than Vc, Fe or MFe powders before melt blending. Moreover, at a fixed weight ratio of Vc (or SA) to MFe of the oxygen scavenger compounds, the oxygen depletion efficiency of L95[SAx(MFe)y]5 series specimens is always significantly better than that of L95[Vcx(MFe)y]5 series specimens. In fact, at weight ratios of Vc/MFe and SA/MFe higher than 3/7 and 5/5, respectively, the residual oxygen concentration values present in the airtight flask of L95[Vcx(MFe)y]5 and L95[SAx(MFe)y]5 series samples at any time are even lower than those of the L95(Vc)5 and L95(SA)5 specimens, respectively. Further tensile experiments show that the tensile properties of the L95[SAx(MFe)y]5 series samples are always higher than those of the corresponding L95[Vcx(MFe)y]5 series samples with the same loadings of oxygen scavenger compounds, respectively. In order to understand these interesting thermal stability, oxygen depletion and tensile properties of these LDPE oxygen-scavenging plastics, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-rays analysis of the compositions on the surfaces of L95[SAx(MFe)y]5 and L95[Vcx(MFe)y]5 series samples were performed. Possible reasons accounting for these interesting properties of these LDPE oxygen-scavenging plastics are proposed.

The Vazante deposit, which is the world's largest zinc silicate deposit, occurs in brecciated dolomite and comprises mainly willemite with various proportions of hematite, Fe-carbonate, minor franklinite and magnetite. Exploration for this type of deposit is more challenging than zinc sulfide deposits, as they do not exhibit similar geophysical anomalies. To improve the application of geophysical surveys to the exploration of hypogene silicate zinc deposits, data from 475 samples were investigated from drill holes representative of the various types of ore and host rocks as well as barren zones of known geophysical anomalies in the Vazante District. Lithogeochemical and mineralogical (optical, SEM and MLA) data were integrated with physical rock properties (density, magnetic susceptibility and Ksbnd Usbnd Th gamma-ray spectrometry) to assist in exploring for this type of deposit. The most distinct physical property of the ore is density, compared with the host rocks due to high proportion of denser minerals (hematite and willemite). However, barren hematite breccias also have high densities. The zinc ore and hematite breccias yielded higher magnetic susceptibilities than the surrounding host rocks, with the highest values associated with greater proportions of franklinite and magnetite. The density and magnetic susceptibility contrasts are a result of hydrothermal fluids interacting with and altering the carbonate host rocks. Zinc ore also yielded elevated U concentrations relative to the various host rocks, yielding higher gamma-ray spectrometric values. The results of this investigation indicate that an integration of magnetic, gravimetric and radiometric surveys would be required to identify zinc silicate ore zones.

Bismuth based glasses containing ZnO, B 2O 3 and Li 2O are investigated by different physical, spectroscopic and transport techniques. Raman and IR studies reveal that these glasses are built up of [BiO 3] and [BiO 6] units. Zinc in tetrahedral form is also observed. Glass transition temperature varied nonlinearly with the composition. Also the variation in conductivity with composition is very small and non-linear. The nonlinear behaviour in these properties is attributed to mixed former effect. Molar polarizability is also estimated from optical and dielectric properties. The polarizability values show dependence on Bi 2O 3 content and varied nonlinearly.

A new chitosan (as biotemplate)-zinc-tin oxide hybrid structure was successfully synthesized by a chemical precipitation method and annealed at 500 °C. We studied the structural changes, optical, thermal and photo catalytic properties. The chemical bonding of the Zn-O and Sn-O-Sn functional groups were confirmed by FT-IR absorption peaks appearing at 538 and 635 cm‑1. The different ratio of ZnO to SnO2 particles on the biotemplate matrix altered the morphology of the hybrids from an agglomerated state to a microcrystalline form confirmed by HR-SEM and TEM analysis. The formation of a Zn0.15Sn0.85O hybrid structure was observed in the visible light region, with an energy band gap of ∼3.19 eV and higher surface area of 98 m2 g‑1. The thermal property shows that CS-Zn0.15Sn0.85O has a higher thermal stability than a CS-Zn0.25Sn0.75O hybrid structure. The results demonstrate that the biotemplate-zinc-tin oxide hybrid structure has a reinforced effect compared to the other components. Therefore, a biotemplate-based zinc-tin oxide hybrid structure could be a promising material for better dye removal efficiency, which was obtained for ∼100 and 96% with MB and RY-15 dyes.

In this work, microstructural and optical characteristics nanoparticles of wings of Tailed Jay (Graphium Agamemnon) butterfly were studied before and after treating it in a precursor solution of zinc acetate and ethanol. We speculate that the butterfly scales are infiltrated with ZnO nanoparticles owing to reduction of Zinc hydroxide under ambient condition. The ZnO butterfly scales so produced were characterised using optical microscopy, UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy, and electron microscopy etc. From the reflectance spectra, we could see that after treating it in the solution, optical properties vary. We anticipate that this change may be due to the formation of ZnO nanoparticles as well as the loss in periodicity due to the chemical treatments, which could be assessed from the SEM micrographs.

ZnSe nanowires with a dominant wurtzite structure have been grown at low temperature (300 °C) by molecular beam epitaxy assisted by solid Au nanoparticles. The nanowires emission is polarized perpendicularly to their axis in agreement with the wurtzite selection rules. Alternations of wurtzite and zinc-blende regions have been observed by transmission electron microscopy, and their impact on the nanowires optical properties has been studied by microphotoluminescence. The nanowires show a dominant intense near-band-edge emission as well as the ZnSe wurtzite free exciton line. A type II band alignment between zinc-blende and wurtzite ZnSe is evidenced by time-resolved photoluminescence. From this measurement, we deduce values for the conduction and valence band offsets of 98 and 50 meV, respectively.

Frequency dependent optical and dielectric properties for several grades of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) zinc sulfide (standard, elemental, and multi-spectral) was performed using a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system in the frequency range from 0.15 THz to 2.5 THz. Zinc sulfide exhibits low frequency vibrational modes characterized by the THz-TDS. Two low-frequency phonon resonance lines were revealed at 0.78 THz and 2.20 THz. These samples were also characterized in the GHz range using a backward wave oscillator (BWO) source quasi-optical spectrometer, and the data obtained by both approaches were compared. Experimental data were also compared with an undamped harmonic oscillator model. These results compare well with the literature values obtained using other methods.

The influence of preparation techniques on structural and dielectric properties of ZnCrxFe1-xO4 (x=0, 0.1 abbreviated as Z and ZC) ferrite nano-particles synthesized using chemical co-precipitation (CCP), sol-gel (SG) and solid state reaction (SS) techniques is discussed. XRD profiles are used to confirm the single phase spinel ferrite formation. TEM images indicate the change in size and shape of particles on changing either the composition or the synthesis methodology. The TEM micrograph of samples obtained through CCP shows uniform particle size formation compared to those obtained through SG and SS. Sample prepared through CCP possess porosity >70% making these materials suitable for sensing applications. The dielectric loss, dielectric constant and ac conductivity are analyzed as a function of frequency, temperature and composition using impedance spectroscopy. A universal dielectric behavior has been predicted through temperature and frequency variations of different parameters. Dielectric constant is found to possess highest value for sample synthesized through SG which marks the possibility of using the SG derived ferrospinels as microwave device components.

Swift heavy ion irradiation provides unique ways to modify physical and chemical properties of materials. In ferrites, the magnetic properties can change significantly as a result of swift heavy ion irradiation. Zinc ferrite is an antiferromagnet with a Neel temperature of 10 K and exhibits anomalous magnetic properties in the nano regime. Ion irradiation can cause amorphisation of zinc ferrite thin films; thus the role of crystallinity on magnetic properties can be examined. The influence of surface topography in these thin films can also be studied. Zinc ferrite thin films, of thickness 320 nm, prepared by RF sputtering were irradiated with 100 MeV Ag ions. Structural characterization showed amorphisation and subsequent reduction in particle size. The change in magnetic properties due to irradiation was correlated with structural and topographical effects of ion irradiation. A rough estimation of ion track radius is done from the magnetic studies.

Zn-doped cobalt-ferrite, with nominal compositions Co1-xZnxFe2O4(0≤x≤0.3), were synthesized by a novel auto combustion technique. The structural properties of the Zn substituted ferrites have been characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD). The as-synthesized powders were calcined at 800°C for 3 hrs and the powders were pressed into cylindrical pellets. Solid-state sintering at 1300°C for 12 hrs of the green pellets resulted in a single phase cubic-spinel structure, as observed and analyzed from the XRD spectra. Room temperature magnetic properties were studied using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) with field strengths up to ± 15 kOe. Magnetoelastic properties were measured using strain gauge method in a pulsed field magnetometer. Effect of zinc doping on its magnetic and magnetoelastic properties of cobalt ferrite is discussed in this paper.

We report the first instance of a hydrothermal synthesis of zinc germanate (Zn 2GeO 4) nano-materials having a variety of morphologies and photochemical properties in surfactant, template and catalyst-free conditions. A systematic variation of synthesis conditions and detailed characterization using X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering led to a better understanding of the growth of these particles from solution. At 140 °C, the zinc germanate particle morphology changes with pH from flower-shaped at pH 6.0, to poly-disperse nano-rods at pH 10 when the Zn to Ge ratio in the synthesis solution is 2. When the Zn to Ge ratio is reduced to 1.25, mono-disperse nano-rods could be prepared at pH 7.5. Nanorod formation is also independent of the addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), in contrast to previous reports. Photocatalytic tests show that Zn 2GeO 4 nano-rods (by weight) and flower shaped (by surface area) are the most active for methylene blue dye degradation among the synthesized zinc germanate materials.

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Zinc oxide micro/nanopencils have been synthesized hydrothermally. • Photocatalytic activity has been evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under UV light irradiation. • ZnO nanopencils exhibit much higher photocatalytic activity than the commercial ZnO. - Abstract: Zinc oxide micro/nanopencils have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal process using zinc acetate and diamines as structure-directing agents. The morphology, the structure, the crystallinity and the composition of the materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optical properties of synthesized ZnO were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the material has been evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. As a result, after the lapse of 150 min, around 82% bleaching was observed, with ZnO nanopencils yielding more photodegradation compared to that of commercial ZnO (61%)

In this paper, the preparation, characterization and dye adsorption properties of novel biocompatible composite (Chitosan-zinc oxide nanoparticle) (CS/n-ZnO) were investigated. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were immobilized onto Chitosan. Physical characteristics of CS/n-ZnO were studied using Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDX). Two textile dyes, Direct Blue 78 (DB78) and Acid Black 26 (AB26), were used as model compounds. The effect of CS/n-ZnO doses, initial dye concentration, salt and pH were elucidated at 20+/-1 degrees C. The isotherm and kinetics of dye adsorption were studied. The presence of functional groups such as hydroxyl, amino and carbonyl groups were detected. Results showed zinc oxide nanoparticles were immobilized onto Chitosan. The data were evaluated for compliance with the Langmuir, Freundlich and Tempkin isotherm models. It was found that AB26 and DB78 followed with Langmuir and Tempkin isotherms, respectively. In addition, adsorption kinetics of both dyes was found to conform to pseudo-second order kinetics. Based on the data of present investigation, one could conclude that the CS/n-ZnO being a biocompatible, eco-friendly and low-cost adsorbent might be a suitable alternative for elimination of dyes from colored aqueous solutions.

Staphylococcus aureus surface protein SasG promotes cell-cell adhesion during the accumulation phase of biofilm formation, but the molecular basis of this interaction remains poorly understood. Here, we unravel the mechanical properties of SasG on the surface of living bacteria, that is, in its native cellular environment. Nanoscale multiparametric imaging of living bacteria reveals that Zn(2+) strongly increases cell wall rigidity and activates the adhesive function of SasG. Single-cell force measurements show that SasG mediates cell-cell adhesion via specific Zn(2+)-dependent homophilic bonds between β-sheet-rich G5-E domains on neighboring cells. The force required to unfold individual domains is remarkably strong, up to ∼500 pN, thus explaining how SasG can withstand physiological shear forces. We also observe that SasG forms homophilic bonds with the structurally related accumulation-associated protein of Staphylococcus epidermidis, suggesting the possibility of multispecies biofilms during host colonization and infection. Collectively, our findings support a model in which zinc plays a dual role in activating cell-cell adhesion: adsorption of zinc ions to the bacterial cell surface increases cell wall cohesion and favors the projection of elongated SasG proteins away from the cell surface, thereby enabling zinc-dependent homophilic bonds between opposing cells. This work demonstrates an unexpected relationship between mechanics and adhesion in a staphylococcal surface protein, which may represent a general mechanism among bacterial pathogens for activating cell association.

This paper reports physical, chemical and biological analyses of samples of dust resulting from munitions containing depleted uranium (DU) that had been live-fired and had impacted an armored target. Mass spectroscopic analysis indicated that the average atom% of U was 0.198 +/- 0.10, consistent with depleted uranium. Other major elements present were iron, aluminum, and silicon. About 47% of the total mass was particles with diameters <300 microm, of which about 14% was <10 microm. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the uranium was present in the sample as uranium oxides-mainly U3O7 (47%), U3O8 (44%) and UO2 (9%). Depleted uranium dust, instilled into the lungs or implanted into the muscle of rats, contained a rapidly soluble uranium component and a more slowly soluble uranium component. The fraction that underwent dissolution in 7 d declined exponentially with increasing initial burden. At the lower lung burdens tested (<15 microg DU dust/lung) about 14% of the uranium appeared in urine within 7 d. At the higher lung burdens tested (~80-200 microg DU dust/lung) about 5% of the DU appeared in urine within 7 d. In both cases about 50% of that total appeared in urine within the first day. DU implanted in muscle similarly showed that about half of the total excreted within 7 d appeared in the first day. At the lower muscle burdens tested (<15 microg DU dust/injection site) about 9% was solubilized within 7 d. At muscle burdens >35 microg DU dust/injection site about 2% appeared in urine within 7 d. Natural uranium (NU) ore dust was instilled into rat lungs for comparison. The fraction dissolving in lung showed a pattern of exponential decline with increasing initial burden similar to DU. However, the decline was less steep, with about 14% appearing in urine for lung burdens up to about 200 microg NU dust/lung and 5% at lung burdens >1,100 microg NU dust/lung. NU also showed both a fast and a more slowly dissolving component. At the higher lung burdens of both

Development of cast alloys with good mechanical properties and involving less energy consumption during their melting is one of the key demands of today's industry. Zinc foundry alloys of high and medium Al content, i.e. Zn-(15-30) wt.% Al and Zn-(8-12) wt.% Al, can satisfy these requirements. The present paper summarizes the work [1-9] on improving properties of sand-cast ZnAl10 (Zn-10 wt.% Al) and ZnAl25 (Zn-25 wt. % Al) alloys by melt inoculation. Special attention was devoted to improving ductility, whilst preserving high damping properties at the same time. The composition and structural modification of medium- and high-aluminium zinc alloys influence their strength, tribological properties and structural stability. In a series of studies, Zn - (10-12) wt. % Al and Zn - (25-26) wt.% Al - (1-2.5) wt.% Cu alloys have been doped with different levels of added Ti. The melted alloys were inoculated with ZnTi-based refiners and it was observed that the dendritic structure is significantly finer already after addition of 50 - 100 ppm Ti to the melted alloys. The alloy's structure and mechanical properties have been studied using: SEM (scanning electron microscopy), LM (light microscopy), dilatometry, pin-on-disc wear, and tensile strength measurements. Grain refinement leads to significant improvement of ductility in the binary high-aluminium Zn-(25-27) Al alloys while in the medium-aluminium alloys the effect is rather weak. In the ternary alloys Zn-26Al-Cu, replacing a part of Cu with Ti allows dimensional changes to be reduced while preserving good tribological properties. Furthermore, the high initial damping properties were nearly entirely preserved after inoculation. The results obtained allow us to characterize grain refinement of the examined high-aluminium zinc alloys as a promising process leading to the improvement of their properties. At the same time, using low melting ZnTi-based master alloys makes it possible to avoid the excessive melt overheating

Cu-doped zinc oxide and its polythiophene nanocomposites were prepared by the Sol-Gel and in situ polymerization methods, respectively. The structures, morphologies and compositions of the samples were characterized. The antibacterial properties of the samples on three kinds of strains were determined by using powder inhibition zones, minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimal bactericidal concentrations. The study confirmed that the antibacterial activities of the composites were better than those of their each component. The antibacterial mechanisms of the samples were discussed further.

The present study deals with first-principles calculations of the thermal properties of ZnTe in the two phases namely, zinc-blende and wurtzite. The calculations are mainly performed using the density functional theory with the local density approximation and response-function calculations. The full phonon dispersions throughout the Brillouin zone are presented. The temperature dependence of the lattice parameters, bulk modulus, entropy and heat capacity are examined and discussed. Our findings agree reasonably well with those available in the literature.

A study of the properties of materials based on the wide bandgap zinc oxide semiconductor, which are promising for application in optoelectronics, photovoltaics and nanoplasmonics. The structural and optical properties of solid solution Zn1-xCdxO films with different cadmium content, are studied. The samples are grown using magnetron sputtering on sapphire backing. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra revealed emission peaks associated with radiative recombination processes in those areas of the film that have varying amounts of cadmium. X-ray phase analysis showed the presence of a cadmium oxide cubic phase in these films. Theoretical studies of the solid solution thermodynamic properties allowed for a qualitative interpretation of the observed experimental phenomena. It is established that the growth of the homogeneous solid solution film is possible only at high temperatures, whereas regions of inhomogeneous composition can be narrowed through elastic deformation, caused by the mismatch of the film-backing lattice constants. The driving forces of the spinodal decomposition of the Zn1-xCdxO system are identified. Fullerene-like clusters of Znn-xCdxOn are used to calculate the bandgap and the cohesive energy of ZnCdO solid solutions. The properties of transparent conductive ZnO films, doped with Group III donor impurities (Al, Ga, In), are examined. It is shown that oxygen vacancies are responsible for the hole trap centers in the zinc oxide photoconductivity process. We also examine the photoluminescence properties of metal-ZnO nanocomposite structures, caused by surface plasmons.

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is the most widely accepted material in maxillofacial implants due to its superior advantages. The material used for craniofacial implant should have good mechanical and antibacterial properties to withstand forces and eliminate infection. A study was conducted to prepare PMMA incorporated with β-tricalcium phosphate (β -TCP) filler and zinc oxide as an antibacterial agent at different compositions and investigate the flexural properties of the produced PMMA/β- TCP/ZnOcomposites. Pure PMMA as control,15 % β -TCP filled, 15% β -TCPwith 2.5% ZnO filled as well as15% β -TCPwith5% ZnOfilled PMMA were prepared. PMMA were mixed together with β -TCP and zinc oxide manually according to the percentages specified until it has reached the homogeneous state. Flexural specimens were prepared by casting the paste in silicone mould which has been fabricated using 3D printed flexural template. The number of samples was n=7 for each composition. Statistical analysis of One Way ANOVA was employed to compare the flexural properties of each samples. Flexural strength of pure PMMA,15 % β -TCP filled, 15% β -TCP with 2.5% ZnO filled as well as 15% β -TCP with 5% ZnO filled PMMA were 60.79, 46.75, 38.72 and 41.49 MPa respectively. The addition of either β- TCP or β- TCP with ZnO decreased the flexural properties and it showed significant differences as compared to pure PMMA (p<0.05).5% ZnO filled PMMA showed higher flexural properties as compared to 2.5% ZnO filled PMMA, however the differences were found not significant(p>0.05).

Zinc oxide nanoparticles with different amounts of incorporated silver (ZnO:Ag; 0.6, 3, 6, and 9 at.% Ag) have been successfully synthesized by a simple sol gel method. The effect of Ag content on the properties of ZnO nanoparticles have been studied by various characterization techniques. The results from X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy (RS) suggest that elemental silver is present as a second phase. The UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence (PL) properties of the samples were also studied. PL data at room temperature reveals a strong blue emission. In addition, Raman spectroscopy results indicate a very strong A1(LO) mode resulting from oxygen vacancies and zinc interstitials. A new local vibrational mode (LVM) at 480 cm-1 induced by silver can also be observed in the Raman spectra, suggesting silver incorporation into the ZnO lattice compensating the Zn vacancies, which is consistent with the XRD results.

We report on the development of Ni-shielded ZnO nanorod (NR) structures and the impact of the Ni layer on the ZnO NR properties. We developed nickel-capped zinc oxide nanorod (ZnO/Ni NR) structures by e-beam evaporation of Ni and the subsequent annealing of the ZnO/Ni core/shell nanostructures. The core/shell NRs annealed at 400 °C showed superior crystalline and emission properties. More interestingly, with the increase of annealing temperature, the crystallinity of the Ni shells over the ZnO NRs gradually changed from polycrystalline to single crystalline. The presence of the Ni layer as a polycrystalline shell completely hindered the light emission and transmission of the ZnO NR cores. Further, the band gap of ZnO NRs continuously decreased with the increase of annealing temperature. PMID:27334555

The Co2+ doped 19.9ZnO+5Li2CO3+25Na2CO3+50B2O3 (ZLNB) mixed alkali zinc borate glasses have been prepared by a conventional melt quenching method. The structural (XRD & FT-IR), dielectric and a.c. conductivity (σac) properties have been investigated. Amorphous nature of these glasses has been confirmed from their XRD pattern. The dielectric properties and electrical conductivity (σac) of these glasses have been studied from 100Hz to 5MHz at the room temperature. Based on the observed trends in the a.c. conductivities, the present glass samples are found to exhibit a non-Debye behavior.

Surface modification of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with covalently attachable organosilane species is a promising route for the preparation of hybrid nanomaterials in which optical and physico-chemical properties can be easily tuned. As a continuation of our ongoing studies regarding the surface modification of ZnO NPs with adjustable optical properties, we here report a novel series of hybrid zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO QDs) modified with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS). The modified ZnO QDs, with sizes spanning the range 3-4 nm, were obtained through a simple and low-cost precipitation method. They were morpho-structurally characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while their optical properties were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy. When applied as thin films on glass substrate, the obtained ZnO QDs showed excellent optical transmittance between 85 and 90%, and low reflectance in the visible domain. The photoluminescence spectra showed a significant blue-shift of the emission bands, from 578 nm for unmodified ZnO to 540 nm for ZnO modified with 10% VTMS. A new opposite trend of band gap variation from 3.494 eV for unmodified ZnO to 3.32 eV for ZnO modified with 10% VTMS was detected, while an organosilane loading higher than 10% was found to reincrease both nanoparticles size and band gap energy. These results highlighted the better ability of VTMS to attain a higher degree of nanoparticles size reduction, along with the tuning of the optical properties, with respect to the previously reported ZnO-MPS series.

In the present work, we predict the optical properties and the dielectric response spectrum of the spinel zinc ferrite Zn2Fe4O8, and show in particular the impact of many-body effects on the absorption spectrum, using advanced many-body perturbation approach. The excitonic effects remarkably redistribute the spectral weights causing a red-shift of 1.6 eV of the maximum of the independent particle G 0 W 0 (IP- G 0 W 0) towards the electron-hole affected spectrum. The excitation spectrum of the zinc ferrite exhibits a low lying doubly degenerated bound dark exciton at 1.84 eV with a fully symmetric excited-state density, and a narrow optical gap setting on at 1.93 eV. We further analyse the electronic transitions and exciton density distributions giving insights to the nature of excitations. The dielectric response of Zn2Fe4O8 shows a particular sensitivity to the excitations higher than the electronic band gap, however it abruptly becomes passive to the incoming electro-magnetic wave and propagates to the negative regions at high energy regimes.

In an attempt to find a solution to the problem of the traditional spinel ferrite used as the microwave absorber, the Co0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4-Paraffin nanocomposites were investigated. Cobalt-zinc ferrite powders, synthesized through PVA sol-gel method, were combined with differing concentrations of Paraffin wax. The nanocomposite samples were characterized employing various experimental techniques including X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Alternating Gradient Force Magnetometer (AGFM), and Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). The saturation magnetization and coercivity were enhanced utilizing appropriate stoichiometry, coordinate agent, and sintering temperature required for the preparation of cobalt-zinc ferrite. The complex permittivity and permeability spectra, and Reflection Loss (RL) of Co0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4-Paraffin nanocomposites were measured in the frequency range of 1-18 GHz. The microwave absorption properties of nanocomposites indicated that the absorbing composite containing 20 wt% of paraffin manifests the strongest microwave attenuation ability. The composite exhibited the reflection loss less than -10 dB in the whole C-band and 30% of the X-band frequencies.

Molybdenum doped zinc oxide (MZO) films were deposited on to glass substrates held at temperatures in the range from 303 to 673 K by reactive RF magnetron sputtering method. The chemical composition, crystallographic structure and surface morphology, electrical and optical properties of the films were determined. The films contained the molybdenum of 2.7 at. % in ZnO. The films deposited at 303 K were of X-ray amorphous. The films formed at 473 K were of nanocrystalline in nature with wurtzite structure. The crystallite size of the films was increased with the increase of substrate temperature. The optical transmittance of the films was in the visible range was 80–85%. The molybdenum (2.7 at %) doped zinc oxide films deposited at substrate temperature of 573 K were of nanocrystalline with electrical resistivity of 7.2×10{sup −3} Ωcm, optical transmittance of 85 %, optical band gap of 3.35 eV and figure of merit 30.6 Ω{sup −1}cm{sup −1}.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were synthesized at room temperature on potassium permanganate activated silicon and glass substrate by simple chemical method using zinc acetate as precursor. To modify the surface energy of the as prepared ZnO thin films the samples were coated with amorphous graphene (a-G) synthesized by un-zipping of chemically synthesized amorphous carbon nanotubes (a-CNTs). All the pure and coated samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. The roughness analysis of the as prepared samples was done by atomic force microscopic analysis. The detail optical properties of all the samples were studied with the help of a UV-Visible spectrophotometer. The surface energy of the as prepared pure and coated samples was calculated by measuring the contact angle of two different liquids. It is seen that the water repellence of ZnO nanorods got increased after they are being coated with a-Gs. Also even after UV irradiation the contact angle remain same unlike the case for the uncoated sample where the contact angle gets decreased significantly after UV irradiation. Existing Cassie-Wenzel model has been employed along with the Owen's approach to determine the different components of surface energy.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the structural and antimicrobial properties of irradiated chitosan and its complexes with zinc. Chitosan having a molecular weight (Mη) of 220 kDa was exposed to gamma rays in dry, wet and solution forms. The chitosan-zinc complexes were prepared by varying the Mη of chitosan and Zn content. Viscometeric analysis revealed a sharp decrease in the Mη of chitosan irradiated in solution form even at lower doses compared with the dry and wet forms. X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrated variation in the crystallinity of chitosan upon exposure to gamma rays. The antibacterial response of the irradiated chitosan and its complexes against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria demonstrated wide spectrum of effective antimicrobial activities, which increased with the dose. Additionally, the complexes exhibited excellent antifungal activity with no growth of Aspergallious fumigatus and Fusarium solani even after two weeks. These results suggested that the irradiated chitosan and its complexes with Zn can be used as antimicrobial additives for various applications.

In this paper, we demonstrate the use of continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) technology to rapidly produce a library of 56 crystalline (doped) zinc oxide nanopowders and two undoped samples, each with different particle properties. Each sample was produced in series from the mixing of an aqueous stream of basic zinc nitrate (and dopant ion or modifier) solution with a flow of superheated water (at 450 °C and 24.1 MPa), whereupon a crystalline nanoparticle slurry was rapidly formed. Each composition was collected in series, cleaned, freeze-dried, and then characterized using analytical methods, including powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectrophotometry. Photocatalytic activity of the samples toward the decolorization of methylene blue dye was assessed, and the results revealed that transition metal dopants tended to reduce the photoactivity while rare earth ions, in general, increased the photocatalytic activity. In general, low dopant concentrations were more beneficial to having greater photodecolorization in all cases.

We present in this paper a study of the structural and photoluminescence (PL) properties of terbium (Tb) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles synthesized by a simple low temperature chemical precipitation method, using zinc acetate and terbium nitrate in an isopropanol medium with diethanolamine (DEA) as the capping agent at 60 °C. The as-prepared samples were heat treated and the PL of the annealed samples were studied. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns show the pattern of typical ZnO nanoparticles and correspond with the standard XRD pattern given by JCPDS card No. 36-1451, showing the hexagonal phase structure. The PL intensity was enhanced due to Tb3+ doping, and it decreased at higher concentrations of Tb3+ doping after reaching a certain optimum concentration. The PL spectra of Tb3+ doped samples exhibited blue, bluish green, and green emissions at 460 nm (5D3 - 7F3), 484 nm (5D4 - 7F6), and 530 nm (5D4 - 7F5), respectively, which were more intense than the emissions for the undoped ZnO sample. Based on the results, an energy level schematic diagram was proposed to explain the possible electron transition processes.

Peripherally and non-peripherally tetra-substituted zinc(ii) phthalocyanines bearing 2-(2-{2-[3-(dimethylamino)phenoxy]ethoxy}ethoxy)ethoxy and 2-(2-{2-[3-(diethylamino)phenoxy]ethoxy}ethoxy)ethoxy groups (, , and ) were synthesized by cyclotetramerization of the corresponding phthalonitriles (, , and ). Their quaternized ionic derivatives (, , and ) were also synthesized by the reaction of them with methyl iodide. The novel compounds were characterized by using standard spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, UV-vis, mass and elemental analyses. The obtained quaternized phthalocyanines (, , and ) showed amphiphilic behaviour with excellent solubility in both organic and aqueous solutions, which makes them potential photosensitizers for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. The photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical (singlet oxygen and photodegradation quantum yields) properties of these novel phthalocyanines were studied in DMSO for both non-ionic and ionic quaternized derivatives. However, these properties were examined in both DMSO and phosphate buffer solution (PBS) for quaternized ionic phthalocyanines. The effects of the positions of substituents (peripheral or non-peripheral) and the quaternization of the nitrogen atoms on the substituents about their photophysical and photochemical properties were also compared in this study. The bovine serum albumin (BSA) binding behaviours of the studied quaternized ionic zinc(ii) phthalocyanines were also described in PBS solutions. The quaternized phthalocyanines (, , and ) successfully displayed light-dependent photodamage in HeLa and HuH-7 cancer cells in photodynamic therapy treatment. The photosensitivity and the intensity of damage were found directly related to the concentration of the photosensitizers.

This project has been focused on the electrical and optical properties respectively on the effect of Undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films at different annealing temperature which is varied 400 °C, 450 °C, 500 °C, and 550 °C.Undoped ZnO solutions were deposited onto the glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating method. This project was involved with three phases, which are thin films preparation, deposition and characterization. The thin films were characterized using Current Voltage (I-V) measurement and UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer for electrical properties and optical properties. The electrical properties show that the resistivity is the lowest at 500 °C which its resistivity is 5.36 × 104 Ωcm-1. The absorption coefficient spectrum obtained from UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer measurement shows all films exhibit very low absorption in the visible (400-800nm) and near infrared (NIR) (>800nm) range but exhibit high absorption in the UV range.

This project has been focused on the electrical and optical properties respectively on the effect of Tin doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films at different dopant concentrations. These thin films were doped with different Sn dopant concentrations at 1 at%, 2 at%, 3 at%, 4 at% and 5 at% was selected as the parameter to optimize the thin films quality while the annealing temperature is fixed 500 °C. Sn doped ZnO solutions were deposited onto the glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating method. This project was involved with three phases, which are thin films preparation, deposition and characterization. The thin films were characterized using Current Voltage (I-V) measurement and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer Lambda 750) for electrical properties and optical properties. The electrical properties show that the resistivity is the lowest at 4 at% Sn doping concentration with the value 3.08 × 103 Ωcm-1. The absorption coefficient spectrum obtained shows all films exhibit very low absorption in the visible (400-800nm) and near infrared (NIR) (>800nm) range but exhibit high absorption in the UV range.

We report the structural, electrical and magnetic properties of erbium (Er) implanted zinc oxide (ZnO) single crystals. Rutherford backscattering and channeling results showed that the majority of Er atoms resided in Zn substitutional lattice sites. Annealing led to a fraction of Er atoms moving into random interstitial sites. Transmission electron microscopy micrographs revealed that doped Er atoms were located in the near-surface region, consistent with the results obtained from DYNAMIC-TRIM calculations. A non-linear Hall-voltage was observed near 100 K, which is associated with inhomogeneous transport in the material. The Er implanted and annealed ZnO exhibited persistent magnetic ordering to room temperature. Ferromagnetism was likely from the presence of intrinsic defects in ZnO, which mediates the magnetic ordering in Er implanted and annealed ZnO. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Various morphologies of low dimensional ZnO nanostructures, including spheres, rods, sheets, and wires, were successfully synthesized using a simple and facile hydrothermal method assisted with different surfactants. Zinc acetate dihydrate was chosen as the precursors of ZnO nanostructures. We found that polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), glycine, and ethylene glycol (EG) play critical roles in the morphologies and microstructures of the synthesized nanostructures, and a series of possible growth processes were discussed in detail. Gas sensors were fabricated using screen-printing technology, and their sensing properties towards acetylene gas (C2H2), one of the most important arc discharge characteristic gases dissolved in oil-filled power equipments, were systematically measured. The ZnO nanowires based sensor exhibits excellent C2H2 sensing behaviors than those of ZnO nanosheets, nanorods, and nanospheres, indicating a feasible way to develop high-performance C2H2 gas sensor for practical application.

Copper Zinc Tin Sulphide (CZTS) is one of the most promising materials for absorber layer in thin film solar cells. However, the synthesis of CZTS requires careful optimization as it is a quaternary material with a high probability of formation of secondary phases during the synthesis. Here we report the synthesis of CZTS from its binary constituents i.e. CuS, SnS and ZnS at 1030 K in laboratory. The effects of excess sulphur in starting precursors on the chemical compositions of the compound are investigated. Structural and optical properties of synthesized compound are studied in context of its application as absorber material in thin film solar cells.

Various morphologies of low dimensional ZnO nanostructures, including spheres, rods, sheets, and wires, were successfully synthesized using a simple and facile hydrothermal method assisted with different surfactants. Zinc acetate dihydrate was chosen as the precursors of ZnO nanostructures. We found that polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), glycine, and ethylene glycol (EG) play critical roles in the morphologies and microstructures of the synthesized nanostructures, and a series of possible growth processes were discussed in detail. Gas sensors were fabricated using screen-printing technology, and their sensing properties towards acetylene gas (C2H2), one of the most important arc discharge characteristic gases dissolved in oil-filled power equipments, were systematically measured. The ZnO nanowires based sensor exhibits excellent C2H2 sensing behaviors than those of ZnO nanosheets, nanorods, and nanospheres, indicating a feasible way to develop high-performance C2H2 gas sensor for practical application. PMID:24672324

Silver/zinc selenide (Ag/ZnSe) core-shell structure spheres were made through the method of silver mirror reaction on zinc selenide micro spheres. Surface morphology of the spheres was depicted by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier infrared absorption spectrum. This paper studies the effect of Ag/ZnSe core-shell structure spheres on the infrared absorption properties of sodium nitrate solution. The results show that, the anti-symmetric vibration absorption peaks of nitrate are blue-shifted, and the intensity are improved obviously by the effect of core-shell structure spheres.

Zinc(II) phthalocyanine containing [2-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]ethoxy and iodine groups (A and B), as well as their deprotected mono-amino and tri-iodine zinc(II) phthalocyanine (2) were obtained. This structure surrounds by substituents with functional groups. From this perspective it can be used a starting material for many reactions and applications, such as sonogashira coupling, carbodiimide coupling. An example of a first diversification reaction of this compound was obtained with conjugation of a biotin. Asymmetrically biotin conjugated and heavy atom bearing zinc(II) phthalocyanine (3) were synthesized characterized for the first time and photophysical, photochemical and photobiological properties of these phthalocyanines were compared in this study.

In this paper, Mg0.5Zn0.5-Cu(x)Fe2O4 ferrites nanoparticles were synthesized by facile co-precipitation route and characterized in detail in terms of their structural, electrical and magnetic properties as a function of Cu concentration. The prepared samples have cubic spinel phase as confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns. The decrease of the lattice constant and increase of X-ray density indicate the solubility of Cu ions in the spinel lattice. The AC conductivity measurements between 300 K and 773 K at different frequencies 1 KHz up to 1 MHz, showed two different behaviors as semiconductor-like at high temperature and frequency depending behavior associated with dispersion phenomena at low temperatures. The conduction mechanism in the system is influenced by Cu concentration and the dominant one is the hopping conduction mechanism. Dielectric measurements at the same conditions of temperatures and frequencies exhibited that the dielectric loss increases with increasing the temperature and decreasing the frequency indicating the semiconducting nature of the ferrite compounds. An anomalous behavior of the dielectric loss is observed in samples with high Cu content which explained in terms of resonance between frequency accompanied the electronic hopping and the frequency of the external electric field. The analysis of Mössbauer spectra revealed that copper free compound is super-paramagnetically relaxed in nature and zinc free compound demonstrates ferrimagnetic order. Moreover, hyperfine field spectrum shows the migration of Cu ions from octahedral to tetrahedral site in zinc free compound.

The influence of experimental conditions on the nano/microstructure and optical properties of ZnO particles produced by rapid hydrolysis of zinc acetylacetonate, followed by aging of the precipitation system at 160 °C, was investigated. Samples were characterized by XRD, FE scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), FT-IR, UV/Vis/NIR and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. XRD patterns of all samples were assigned to the hexagonal ZnO phase (wurtzite-type), as well as the corresponding FT-IR spectra. FE-SEM inspection showed a high dependence of the ZnO nano/microstructure on the chemical composition of the reaction mixture and autoclaving time after the rapid hydrolysis of zinc acetylacetonate. Microstructural differences were noticed between C2H5OH/H2O and H2O media, as well as under the influence of NH4OH addition. Measurements of nanocrystallite sizes showed no significant preferential orientation in the (1 0 0) and (0 0 2) directions relative to the (1 0 1) and (1 1 0) directions. Somewhat smaller crystallite sizes were noticed for ZnO samples synthesized by adding the NH4OH solution. Dissolution/recrystallization of ZnO particles played an important role in the formation of different ZnO nano/microstructures. The band gap values for prepared ZnO samples were calculated on the basis of recorded UV/Vis spectra. PL spectra were recorded for ZnO samples in powder form and their suspensions in pure ethanol. Noticed differences are discussed.

Conjugated meso-alkynyl 5,15-dimesitylporphyrin metal complexes have been synthesized by Sonogashira coupling reaction in good yields. Alkynyl groups were chosen as a link at the meso positions in order to extend the pi-conjugated length of porphyrin rings. These synthesized porphyrin derivatives were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Moreover, UV-visible spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy were also used to investigate their photophysical properties. It has been demonstrated that central metal ions as well as meso substituents on porphyrin rings affected the electronic absorption and emission spectra of the compounds. Spectroscopic results revealed that alkyne-linked porphyrin metal complexes showed higher pi-conjugation compared with porphyrin building blocks resulting in red shifts in both absorption and emission spectra. Coordination properties of synthesized porphyrins were preliminarily investigated by UV-visible absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopic titration with pyridine as axial ligand. The formation of porphyrin-pyridine complexes resulted in significant red shifts in absorption spectra and decrease of fluorescence intensity in emission spectra. Moreover, the 1H NMR titration experiments suggested that central metal ions play an important role to coordinate with pyridine and the coordination of porphyrin zinc(II) complex with pyridine occur in a 1:1 ratio. From these spectroscopic results, alkyne-linked porphyrin metal complexes offer potential applications as materials for optical organic nanosensors.

We present results from ab-initio, self-consistent density functional theory (DFT) calculations of electronic, transport, and bulk properties of zinc blende boron arsenide (zb-BAs). We utilized a local density approximation (LDA) potential and the linear combination of atomic orbital (LCAO) formalism. Our computational technique follows the Bagayoko, Zhao, and Williams method, as enhanced by Ekuma and Franklin. Our results include electronic energy bands, densities of states, and effective masses. We explain the agreement between these findings, including the indirect band gap, and available, corresponding, experimental ones. This work confirms the capability of DFT to describe accurately properties of materials, provided the computations adhere to the conditions of validity of DFT [AIP Advances, 4, 127104 (2014)]. Acknowledgments: This work was funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Louisiana Board of Regents, through LASiGMA [Award Nos. EPS- 1003897, NSF (2010-15)-RII-SUBR] and NSF HRD-1002541, the US Department of Energy - National, Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) (Award No. DE- NA0002630), LaSPACE, and LONI-SUBR.

We present the results from ab-initio, self-consistent density functional theory (DFT) calculations of electronic, transport, and bulk properties of zinc blende boron arsenide. We utilized the local density approximation potential of Ceperley and Alder, as parameterized by Vosko and his group, the linear combination of Gaussian orbitals formalism, and the Bagayoko, Zhao, and Williams (BZW) method, as enhanced by Ekuma and Franklin (BZW-EF), in carrying out our completely self-consistent calculations. With this method, the results of our calculations have the full, physical content of density functional theory (DFT). Our results include electronic energy bands, densities of states, effective masses, and the bulk modulus. Our calculated, indirect band gap of 1.48 eV, from Γ to a conduction band minimum close to X, for the room temperature lattice constant of 4.777 Å, is in an excellent agreement with the experimental value of 1.46 ± 0.02 eV. We thoroughly explain the reasons for the excellent agreement between our findings and corresponding, experimental ones. This work provides a confirmation of the capability of DFT to describe accurately properties of materials, if the computations adhere strictly to the conditions of validity of DFT, as done by the BZW-EF method.

We synthesize Zn-substituted cobalt ferrite (Zn x Co1- x Fe2O4, with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) magnetic nanoparticles by a hydrothermal co-precipitation method in alkaline medium. The chemical composition is evaluated by atomic absorption spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The structure and morphology of the nanopaticles are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. XRD Rietveld refinements reveal the cation distribution among the tetrahedral (A) and octahedral (B) sites. It shows that up to x 0.5 zinc ions occupy preferably A-sites, above which Zn ions begin also a gradual occupancy of B-sites. TEM images show nanoparticles with different shapes varying from spheres, cubes, to octahedrons. Hysteresis loop properties are studied at 300 and 5 K. These properties are strongly influenced by the Zn and Co proportion in the nanoparticle composition. At 300 K, only samples with high Co content present hysteresis. At 5 K, the reduced remanent magnetization ratio ( M R/ M S) and the coercivity ( H C) suggest that nanoparticles with x < 0.5 have cubic anisotropy. A kink on the hysteresis loop, close to the remanence, is observed at low temperature. This feature is presumably associated to interplay between hard and soft anisotropy regimes in the powder samples.

The complex compound of zinc(II) supported by (Z)-2-hydroxy-N‧-(1-oxoacenaphthylen-2(1H) ylidene)benzohydrazide ligand (H2L1) has been reported and discussed. The reaction of zinc acetate with H2L1 ligand leads to the formation of a mononuclear zinc(ii) complex, [Zn(HL1)2H2O]. The ligand, H2L1 has been characterized by elemental analysis, 1H, 13C and 1Hsbnd COSY -NMR, IR and ESI-MS, while the complex was characterized by elemental analysis, IR, and ESI-MS. The crystal structures of the free ligand H2L1 and the complex have also been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The ligand chelates with metal centre with a nitrogen atom of imino moiety and an oxygen atom of enolic group. The complex shows distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry around the metal centre with oxygen atoms lying in the equatorial plane and imino nitrogen atoms along the axial direction. The DFT/TD-DFT calculations were performed on both the ligand and its zinc complex to get insight into the structural, electronic and optical properties. The photoluminescence, fluorescence properties of the complex have been investigated.

Galvanized steel structures are used in a large variety of external constructions in the modern urban society, and their beneficial properties from a corrosion and oxidation perspective are well known. Less investigated is the extent of their contribution to the diffuse dispersion of zinc in the society and also to the environmental fate of corrosion-induced released zinc. This paper presents long-term runoff rates of zinc from galvanized steel surfaces with main focus on hot-dipped galvanized steel exposed for up to 10 years at nonsheltered urban atmospheric conditions. The long-term capacities of a naturally formed patina and the presence of surface treatments and coatings to hinder and reduce corrosion-induced zinc runoff from galvanized steel are elucidated. The environmental interaction of zinc runoff and concrete surfaces in pavement and urban storm drain systems is highlighted and the high capacity of concrete to retain released zinc presented.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the very important metal oxides (MOs) for applications in optoelectronic devices which work in the blue and UV regions. However, to meet the challenges of obtaining ZnO nanomaterials suitable for practical applications, various modifications in physico-chemical properties are highly desirable. One of the ways adopted for altering the properties is to synthesize composite(s) of ZnO with various reinforcements. Here we report on the tuning of optoelectronic properties of ZnO upon doping by nanodiamonds (NDs) using the ball milling technique. A varying weight percent (wt.%) of NDs were ball milled for 2 h with ZnO nanoparticles prepared by a simple precipitation method. The effects of different parameters, the calcination temperature of ZnO, wt.% of NDs and mechanical milling upon the optoelectronic properties of the resulting ZnO-NDs nanocomposites have been investigated. The ZnO-NDs nanocomposites were characterized by IR spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The UV-vis spectroscopy revealed the alteration in the bandgap energy (Eg ) of ZnO as a function of the calcination temperature of ZnO, changing the concentration of NDs, and mechanical milling of the resulting nanocomposites. The photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy showed a decrease in the deep level emission (DLE) peaks and an increase in near-band-edge transition peaks as a result of the increasing concentration of NDs. The decrease in DLE and increase in band to band transition peaks were due to the strong interaction between the NDs and the Zn+; consequently, the Zn+ concentration decreased on the interstitial sites.

Purpose of review Aim to understand the connection between zinc and prostatic cancer, and to summarize the recent findings about the functions of zinc in the maintenance of prostate health. Recent findings Contradictory findings have been reported by epidemiologic studies examining the association between zinc intake and the risk of prostate cancer. However, a growing body of experimental evidence support that high zinc levels are essential for prostate health. The possible mechanisms include the effects of zinc on the inhibition of terminal oxidation, induction of mitochondrial apoptogenesis, and suppression of NFκB activity. The most recent finding is the effects of zinc in the maintenance of DNA integrity in normal prostate epithelial cells (PrEC) by modulating the expression and activity of DNA repair and damage response proteins, especially p53. Zincdepletion in PrEC increased p53 expression but compromised p53 DNA binding activity resulting an impaired DNA repair function. Moreover, recent findings support the role of zinc transporters as tumor suppressors in the prostate. Summary Future studies need to discover sensitive and specific zinc biomarkers and perform more in vivo studies on the effects of zinc on prostate functions in normal animals or prostate cancer models. PMID:19684515

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are defined as CD4(+)CD25(+) cells in chickens. This study examined the effects of an anti-chicken CD25 monoclonal antibody injection (0.5 mg/bird) on in vivo depletion of Tregs and the properties of CD4(+)CD25(-) cells in Treg-depleted birds. The CD4(+)CD25(+) cell percentage in the blood was lower at 8 d post injection than at 0 d. Anti-CD25-mediated CD4(+)CD25(+) cell depletion in blood was maximum at 12 d post injection. The anti-CD25 antibody injection depleted CD4(+)CD25(+) cells in the spleen and cecal tonsils, but not in the thymus, at 12 d post antibody injection. CD4(+)CD25(-) cells from the spleen and cecal tonsils of birds injected with the anti-chicken CD25 antibody had higher proliferation and higher IL-2 and IFNγ mRNA amounts than the controls at 12 d post injection. At 20 d post injection, CD4(+)CD25(+) cell percentages in the blood, spleen and thymus were comparable to that of the 0 d post injection. It could be concluded that anti-chicken CD25 injection temporarily depleted Treg population and increased and IL-2 and IFNγ mRNA amounts in CD4(+)CD25(-) cells at 12d post injection.

The low-frequency noise properties of Pt-indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) Schottky diodes at different forward biases are investigated. The IGZO layer and Pt contact were deposited by RF sputtering at room temperature. The diode showed an ideality factor of 1.2 and a barrier height of 0.94 eV. The current noise spectral density exhibited 1/f behavior at low frequencies. The analysis of the current dependency of the noise spectral density revealed that for the as-deposited diode, the noise followed Luo's mobility and diffusivity fluctuation model in the thermionic-emission-limited region and Hooge's empirical theory in the series-resistance-limited region. A low Hooge's constant of 1.4 × 10{sup −9} was found in the space-charge region. In the series-resistance-limited region, the Hooge's constant was 2.2 × 10{sup −5}. After annealing, the diode showed degradation in the electrical performance. The interface-trap-induced noise dominated the noise spectrum. By using the random walk model, the interface-trap density was obtained to be 3.6 × 10{sup 15 }eV{sup −1 }cm{sup −2}. This work provides a quantitative approach to analyze the properties of Pt-IGZO interfacial layers. These low noise properties are a prerequisite to the use of IGZO Schottky diodes in switch elements in memory devices, photosensors, and mixer diodes.

Electrical and gas sensing properties of nanocrystalline ZnO:Cu, having Cu X wt% (X = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) in ZnO, in the form of pellet were investigated. Copper chloride and zinc acetate were used as precursors along with oxalic acid as a precipitating reagent in methanol. Material characterization was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and inductive coupled plasma with optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). FE-SEM showed the self-aligned Cu-doped ZnO nano-clusters with particles in the range of 40-45 nm. The doping of 0.5% of copper changes the electrical conductivity by an order of magnitude whereas the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) reduces with increase in copper wt% in ZnO. The material has shown an excellent sensitivity for the H{sub 2}, LPG and CO gases with limited temperature selectivity through the optimized operating temperature of 130, 190 and 220 deg. C for H{sub 2}, LPG and CO gases, respectively at 625 ppm gas concentration. The %SF was observed to be 1460 for H{sub 2} at 1% Cu doping whereas the 0.5% Cu doping offered %SF of 950 and 520 for CO and LPG, respectively. The response and recovery time was found to be 6 to 8 s and 16 s, respectively.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Petal like ZnO nanocrystals are synthesized by high frequency laser ablation in water. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optical band gap of ZnO nanocrystals was tunable by changing the laser pulse energy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nonlinear optical properties and limiting threshold were obtained by Z-scan technique. -- Abstract: The results of the investigations carried out on the third-order nonlinearity in zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals (NCs) by Z-scan technique are included in this paper. ZnO NCs show negative nonlinearity and good nonlinear absorption behavior at 532 nm. The third-order optical susceptibility {chi}(3) increases with enlargement of NCs due to the size dependent enhancement of exciton oscillator strength. The synthesis of ZnO NCs was performed by laser ablation from a high-purity metallic target of Zn in distilled water medium. For the ablation process, a high frequency pulsed Nd:YAG laser was employed operating at 532 nm with 100 ns pulse duration. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy illustrated the enhancement of the size of ZnO NCs upon increasing the laser pulse energy applied in ablation process. Accordingly the corresponding optical band gap (E{sub g}) decrease by increasing the size of NCs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) associated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to characterize the crystalline phase and also for determining the ZnO NCs morphology.

The zinc borotellurite doped with dysprosium oxide glass samples with chemical formula {[(TeO2) 0 . 7(B2O3) 0 . 3 ] 0 . 7(ZnO) 0 . 3 } 1 - x(Dy2O3)x (where x=0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 M fraction) were prepared by using conventional melt quenching technique. The structural and optical properties of the proposed glass systems were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and UV-VIS spectroscopy. The amorphous nature of the glass systems is confirmed by using XRD technique. The infrared spectra of the glass systems indicate three obvious absorption bands which are assigned to BO3 and TeO4 vibrational groups. Based on the absorption spectra obtained, the direct and indirect optical band gaps, as well as the Urbach energy were calculated. It is observed that both the direct and indirect optical band gaps increase with the concentration of Dy3+ ions. On the other hand, the Urbach energy is observed to decrease as the concentration of Dy3+ ions increases.

Zinc and niobium doped strontium hexaferrite nanoparticles, Sr(Zn0.7Nb0.3)xFe12-xO19 (x=0-1.0), were fabricated using a sol-gel method for high density magnetic recording. The structure and temperature dependence of magnetic properties are investigated. The experiments show that strontium hexaferrite with small Zn and Nb substitutions still remains a hexagonal magnetoplumbite phase. The coercive force is reduced from 6.7 to about 2.3 kOe, while the values of saturation magnetization increased to 67-74 emu/g in the substitution range of x=0-1.0. This indicates that the saturation magnetization and coercivity of strontium hexaferrite nanoparticles can be held over a very wide range by an appropriate amount of Zn and Nb doping contents. Simultaneously, it is found that the doped strontium hexaferrite nanoparticles show a small positive temperature coefficient of coercivity. The substitution of Zn2+ and Nb4+ ions for Fe3+ ions also monitors the temperature dependence of magnetization and Curie temperature, and enhances thermal stability in the measured temperature range. This nanoparticle system is, thus, suitable for high-density recording.

Indium-doped zinc oxide nanowires grown by vapor-liquid-solid technique with 1.6 at. % indium content show intense room temperature photoluminescence (PL) that is red shifted to 20 meV from band edge. We report on a combination of nanowires and nanobelts-like structures with enhanced optical properties after indium doping. The near band edge emission shift gives an estimate for the carrier density as high as 5.5 × 10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} for doped nanowires according to Mott's critical density theory. Quenching of the visible green peak is seen for doped nanostructures indicating lesser oxygen vacancies and improved quality. PL and transmission electron microscopy measurements confirm indium doping into the ZnO lattice, whereas temperature dependent PL data give an estimation of the donor and acceptor binding energies that agrees well with indium doped nanowires. This provides a non-destructive technique to estimate doping for 1D structures as compared to the traditional FET approach. Furthermore, these indium doped nanowires can be a potential candidate for transparent conducting oxides applications and spintronic devices with controlled growth mechanism.

In this work, it is demonstrated that the in situ growth of oriented nanometric aggregates of partially inverted zinc ferrite can potentially pave a way to alter and tune magnetocrystalline anisotropy that, in turn, dictates ferromagnetic resonance frequency (f{sub FMR}) by inducing strain due to aggregation. Furthermore, the influence of interparticle interaction on magnetic properties of the aggregates is investigated. Mono-dispersed zinc ferrite nanoparticles (<5 nm) with various degrees of aggregation were prepared through decomposition of metal-organic compounds of zinc (II) and iron (III) in an alcoholic solution under controlled microwave irradiation, below 200 °C. The nanocrystallites were found to possess high degree of inversion (>0.5). With increasing order of aggregation in the samples, saturation magnetization (at 5 K) is found to decrease from 38 emu/g to 24 emu/g, while coercivity is found to increase gradually by up to 100% (525 Oe to 1040 Oe). Anisotropy-mediated shift of f{sub FMR} has also been measured and discussed. In essence, the result exhibits an easy way to control the magnetic characteristics of nanocrystalline zinc ferrite, boosted with significant degree of inversion, at GHz frequencies.

This study aims to develop an aqueous zinc/electrospun poly(5-cyanoindole) fibers secondary battery system. Zn foil and ZnCl2 are used as anode active materials and the electrolytic solution, respectively. Poly(5-cyanoindole) synthesized by chemical oxidation is electrospun into fibers and used as cathode active materials. FTIR and NMR test are carried out to investigate the chemical structure of poly(5-cyanoindole). Surface properties of electrospun poly(5-cyanoindole) fibers are studied by SEM, TEM, and BET. The performance of zinc/electrospun poly(5-cyanoindole) fibers battery system is evaluated in term of electrical conductivity, cyclic voltammogram, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, discharge capacity and durability test. The cell achieves 2.0 V electromotive force with about 107-61 Ah Kg-1 discharge capacity at 0.2C-10C rate. At 800th cycle, the discharge capacity remains 80-57 Ah Kg-1 at 0.2C-2C rate, which is about 75-63% of the maximum discharge capacity. These results indicate that the cell has very excellent cyclic properties as well as fast charge/discharge properties. Electrospun poly(5-cyanoindole) fibers have been proved to be a better candidate than polyindole powder as cathode material in zinc/polymer battery.

Dysprosium (Dy3+) doped lead free zinc phosphate glasses with chemical compositions (60 - x) NH4H2PO4 + 20ZnO + 10BaF2 + 10NaF + xDy2O3 (where x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 mol%) have been prepared by melt quenching technique. The functional groups of vibrational bands have been assigned and clearly elucidated by FTIR and Raman spectral profiles for all these glass samples. Judd-Ofelt (J-O) intensity parameters (Ωλ: λ = 2, 4, 6) have been obtained from spectral intensities of different absorption bands of Dy3+ doped glasses. Radiative properties such as radiative transition probabilities ( A R ), radiative lifetimes ( τ R ), branching ratios ( β R ) and integrated absorption cross-sections ( Σ) for different excited states are calculated by using J-O parameters. Luminescence spectra exhibit three emission bands (from 4F9/2 level to 6H15/2, 6H13/2 and 6H11/2) for all the concentrations of Dy3+ ions before and after gamma irradiation. Various luminescence properties have been studied by varying the Dy3+ concentration for the three spectral profiles. Fluorescence decay curves of 4F9/2 level have been recorded. The energy transfer mechanism that leads to quenching of 4F9/2 state lifetime has been discussed by the variation of Dy3+ concentration. These glasses are expected to be useful for yellow luminescent materials.

Background Fungal infected denture, which is typically composed of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), is a common problem for a denture wearer, especially an elderly patient with limited manual dexterity. Therefore, increasing the antifungal effect of denture by incorporating surface modification nanoparticles into the PMMA, while retaining its mechanical properties, is of interest. Aim of the study This study aimed to evaluate antifungal, optical, and mechanical properties of heat-cured PMMA incorporated with different amounts of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnOnps) with or without methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane modification. Materials and methods Specimens made from heat-cured PMMA containing 1.25, 2.5, and 5% (w/w) nonsilanized (Nosi) or silanized (Si) ZnOnps were evaluated. Specimens without filler served as control. The fungal assay was performed placing a Candida albicans suspension on the PMMA surface for 2 h, then Sabouraud Dextrose Broth was added, and growth after 24 h was determined by counting colony forming units on agar plates. A spectrophotometer was used to measure the color in L* (brightness), a* (red-green), b* (yellow-blue) and opacity of the experimental groups. Flexural strength and flexural modulus were determined using a three-point bending test on universal testing machine after 37°C water storage for 48 h and 1 month. Results The antifungal, optical, and mechanical properties of the PMMA incorporated with ZnOnps changed depending on the amount. With the same amount of ZnOnps, the silanized groups demonstrated a greater reduction in C. albicans compared with the Nosi groups. The color difference (ΔE) and opacity of the Nosi groups were greater compared with the Si groups. The flexural strength of the Si groups, except for the 1.25% group, was significantly greater compared with the Nosi groups. Conclusion PMMA incorporated with Si ZnOnps, particularly with 2.5% Si ZnOnps, had a greater antifungal effect, less color differences, and opacity

Undoped and Sn-doped Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have been fabricated using a simple sol-gel immersion method at 95°C of growth temperature. Thermal sourced by hot plate stirrer was supplied to the solution during ageing process of nanorods growth. The results showed significant decrement in the quality of layer produced after the immersion process where the conductivity and porosity of the samples reduced significantly due to the thermal appliance. The structural properties of the samples have been characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) electrical properties has been characterized using current voltage (I-V) measurement.

The protection of mechanical equipment from wear is of significant economic interest. It has been estimated that up to half of a percent of the gross domestic product of industrialized countries goes to replacing mechanical components that have lost compliance due to wear. Antiwear additives are key ingredients in lubrication oils that assist in protecting components from wear during high loads. These agents form sacrificial films on metal parts that limit the adhesion between the contacting surfaces and reduce the wear rate considerably. One of the most common classes of compounds employed as an antiwear agent is zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDP). This work will explore the formation, structure, and mechanical properties of ZDDP derived antiwear films on the nanoscale. These studies are important because the macroscopic performance of antiwear coatings is dictated by their nanoscale surface properties. As a first study, scanning force microscopy (SFM) is employed to track the formation of films formed from the thermooxidative decomposition of ZDDP on gold substrates. The SFM analysis is correlated with infrared spectroscopy to relate surface structure to chemical composition. The morphology and mechanical strength of ZDDP tribofilms formed at the interface of sliding stainless steel contacts is also investigated. The tribofilms evolve morphologically with contact time and are characterized by distinct segregated islands at low times that transforms to a full film at longer times. The nanomechanical properties of the tribofilms are evaluated by nanoindentation analysis. It is found that the films are mechanically softer than the underlying steel substrate. SFM and nanoindentation analyses reveal that calcium sulphonate detergents promote the formation of ZDDP tribofilms and impart to them greater mechanical stability. By contrast succinimide dispersants reduce the capacity of ZDDP to form effective antiwear films. The first application of SFM and nanoindentation

Four specially designed Schiff bases 2-formyl-4-R-6-(3N-4-hydroxybenzoicacid)-iminomethyl-phenolato (where R = methyl/tert-butyl/chloro for L1, L2, L3 respectively) and 2-(3N-4-hydroxybenzoicacid)-iminomethyl-phenolato (L4) having ability to form hydrogen bonding and their zinc complexes (1-4) have been synthesized and characterized. These complexes gave various types of nano-sized materials via self-assembly in solid state. FE-SEM was employed to investigate their morphology. Using a variety of analytical techniques such as elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ESI-MS and 1H NMR spectroscopy, a consistent picture of structures of these complexes are obtained. All the Schiff-bases and their zinc complexes exhibit photoluminescence property. Density functional theory calculation has been performed to rationalize the origin of the spectral bands of the ligands as well as the complexes.

Aims and objective of the study was to evaluate the flow property of seven commercially available zinc oxide eugenol impression materials at various time intervals, after mixing 49 samples (seven groups) were fabricated for flow property of the material. The sample were fabricated as equal length of base and accelerator paste of the test materials was taken on the glass slab and mixed with a rigid stainless steel spatula as per manufacturers recommendation till the homogenous mix was obtained. The mix material was loaded in glass syringe and 0.5 ml material was injected on a cellophane sheet placed on marked glass plate. A cellophane sheet and glass plate 70 and 500 g weight was carefully placed on freshly dispensed zinc oxide eugenol impression paste sequentially. The diameter of the mix was noted after 30 s and 1 min of load application and also after the final set of material. The diameter gives the flow of material. The samples were stored at the room temperature. The data of the flow property was analyzed with analysis of variance, Post hoc test and t test. The flow of the zinc oxide eugenol impression paste after 30 s, 1 min and final set of load application for Group A to Group G was noted. Maximum flow was seen for Group G zinc oxide eugenol impression material followed by Group F, D, E, B, C and A in descending order respectively after 30 s, where as the flow property changed after 1 min in the sequence of maximum for Group G followed by Group E, D, B, A, C, and F. Lastly after final set of the impression material the flow maximum for Group G followed by Group E, D, C, F, A and B in descending order. Based on statistical analysis of the results and within in the limitations of this in-vitro study, the following conclusions were drawn that; the flow of zinc oxide eugenol impression material after 30 s, 1 min and that after the final set was maximum for P.S.P. (Group G) and the flow for PYREX (Group A) was minimum.

Dandruff is a common complaint and is suffered by as much as half of the population at some time post puberty. The condition is characterized by the presence of flakes on the scalp and in the hair, and is often accompanied by itch. The most common treatment for dandruff is the use of shampoo formulations that contain fungistatic agents such as zinc pyrithione (ZPT) and octopirox. Whilst most antidandruff shampoos are effective in resolving the symptoms of dandruff these shampoos can often result in hair condition that is less than acceptable to consumers which can lead to a tendency for them to revert to use of a non-antidandruff shampoo. This can result in a rapid return of dandruff symptoms. The aim of this investigation was to study the impact of using a combination of antidandruff actives and silicones on the resolution of dandruff and to deliver superior sensory properties to the hair. We have demonstrated that shampoo containing the dual active system of ZPT/Climbazole deposits both active agents onto a model skin surface (VitroSkin) and reduces Malassezia furfur regrowth in vitro. Clinical evaluation of the dual active shampoo demonstrated superior efficacy and retained superiority during a regression phase where all subjects reverted to using a non-antidandruff shampoo. We have also demonstrated that it is possible to deposit silicone materials from antidandruff shampoo uniformly over both virgin and damaged hair fibres that results in smoother hair fibres (as evidenced by reduced dry friction). This combination of antidandruff agents and conditioning silicones delivered from a shampoo provides subjects with superior antidandruff efficacy and desired end sensory benefits ensuring compliance and longer term dandruff removal.

ApV is a brownish polymer with zinc-chelating activity in brewed coffee. We investigated in this study the effects of roasting on the zinc-chelating, reducing, and antioxidative activities of ApV from light-, medium-, and dark-roasted coffee. We also discuss the effect on the zinc-chelating activity of adding milk to the brewed coffee. The chelating activities of ApVs were evaluated by the tetramethyl murexide method. As the intensity of roasting increased, the yield of ApV increased, and the brown color and molecular weight of ApV respectively became darker and higher. Increasing the degree of roasting also decreased the zinc-chelating activity of ApV. The reducing activities of ApVs estimated by the indophenol method were stronger than those of ascorbic acid. Both the antioxidative activity estimated by the ABTS assay and the reducing activity of ApV increased with roasting. When milk was added to instant coffee and its ApV was prepared, the zinc-chelating activity of ApV was not changed.

ZnO is a promising transparent conducting oxide (TCO) because its components are naturally abundant and inexpensive; and ZnO can be synthesized by several methods as thin films and nanostructures. Doping ZnO with Al (to form what is called AZO) significantly increases electrical conductivity while retaining high optical transparency, making AZO ideal for use as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices. However, the electrical conductivity of AZO has not exceeded that of indium tin oxide (ITO), the most widely-utilized TCO. A systematic study of bulk and local electrical and optical properties of AZO is needed to improve conductivity while maintaining transparency. To this end, we conducted bulk magnetotransport measurements on AZO, which indicated that its electron mobility was significantly lower than that of single-crystal ZnO, primarily due to electron scattering at AZO grain boundaries. To further understand this detrimental effect, we directly probed these grain boundaries with a scanning tunneling microscope. These measurements are the first investigation of a broad spectrum of grain boundary traps in AZO, which include shallow states near the conduction band edge that may limit electron mobility, and deeper states that may deplete carriers. Because optical properties can affect transparency in devices, we characterized AZO through a combination of photoluminescence and scanning tunneling microscope cathodoluminescence (STM-CL). STM-CL, which probes only the surface, shows a dramatic narrowing of emission lines compared to bulk photoluminescence. We attribute this to different charge states of oxygen vacancies preferentially located near the surface. This observed difference is especially of interest in understanding transport across interfaces. Finally, we present one application of AZO: a monolayer quantum dot (QD) light-emitting device with AZO electrodes that uses atomic layer deposited insulating oxide to fill the interstices among QDs. This

Spintronics (spin transport electronics), in which both spm and charge of carriers are utilized for information processing, is perceived to be a candidate to extend and possibly to become the next-generation electronics. Its advantages include nonvolatility (data retention without electrical power), lower energy consumption, faster processing speed, and higher integration densities in comparison with the current semiconductor devices relying solely on electron charge. To realize a spin-field effect transistor, two respects are prerequisite. On the one hand, the mechanism of ferromagnetism should be addressed before one could prepare magnetic semiconductor films in a controllable way. On the other hand, excellent field effect properties should be sought through a convenient and low-cost strategy for manufacturing future nano-scale spintronic devices. This thesis is comprised of two parts. Firstly, it deals with the synthesis, characterization, and magnetism of transition-metal-doped or un-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films. Secondly, it focuses on the field effect properties of solution processable ZnO thin films, which are not only of great interest for current charge-carrier based thin film transistors, but also of fundamental importance in future spin-based transistors. A facile spin-coating technique has been developed to fabricate ZnO thin films. Even without magnetic element doping, the film is found to show room temperature ferromagnetism. A broad series of advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques are utilized to characterize the thin films properties. Oxygen vacancy defects are tentatively attributed to the observed ferromagnetism. Following the similar method, Ga doped or Ga, Co co-doped ZnO thin films are prepared. The ferromagnetism is enhanced with Ga doping, providing more carriers. It is discovered that room temperature ferromagnetism can exist in both highly conductive regime and the less conductive or near insulating regime. Transition metal

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were prepared on glass substrate using a magnetron sputtering system. In this work, a powder target was used as a source material for low cost applications, instead of a conventional sintered ceramic target. The effects of the hydrogen gas ratio on the electrical and optical properties of the AZO films. The hydrogen doped AZO (AZO:H) films had a hexagonal polycrystalline structure. A small amount of hydrogen gas deteriorated the electrical and optical properties of the AZO:H films. However, these properties improved, as the H2/(H2 + Ar) gas ratio increased. The AZO:H films grown at an H2/(H2+Ar) ratio of 10% showed good properties for low cost applications, such as a low resistivity of 1.35 x 10(-3) Ω-cm, high average transmittance of 83.1% in the visible range of light.

3D flower-like zinc pyrovanadate (Zn3(OH)2V2O7·2H2O) microstructure has been successfully prepared via a simple chemical precipitation process at 70 °C for 10 h, and no surfactant or any template was employed during the entire synthetic process. Moreover, smaller-scale zinc pyrovanadate 3D flower-like microspheres were also prepared with different amounts of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as surfactant. On basis of time dependent experiments, a possible formation mechanism of zinc pyrovanadate 3D flower-like microspheres was proposed. The results exhibited that particle size of the as-synthesized samples significantly has influence on their photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue (MB), and the sample with the smallest size (under the highest PVP concentration) showed the highest photocatalytic activity.

Three zinc complexes ([(DMOX)ZnX2], X = Cl (1), Br (2) or I (3)), where DMOX is 4,5-dihydro-2-(4,5-dihydro-4,4-dimethyloxazol-2-yl)-4,4-dimethyloxazole), have been fully characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, UV-vis, NMR and IR spectroscopy. Moreover, all zinc complexes showed activities in catalyzing hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate (4-NA). And active species have been determined by pH titrations of [(DMOX)ZnI2] in catalyzing hydrolysis of 4-NA.

This study aims to obtain osmosis-induced swelling strains of normal and proteoglycan (PG) depleted articular cartilage using an ultrasound system and to investigate the changes in its mechanical properties due to the PG depletion using a layered triphasic model. The swelling strains of 20 cylindrical cartilage-bone samples collected from different bovine patellae were induced by decreasing the concentration of bath saline and monitored by the ultrasound system. The samples were subsequently digested by a trypsin solution for approximately 20 min to deplete proteoglycans, and the swelling behaviors of the digested samples were measured again. The bi-layered triphasic model proposed in our previous study (Wang et al., J Biomech Eng-Trans ASME 2007; 129: 413-422) was used to predict the layered aggregate modulus Ha from the data of depth-dependent swelling strain, fixed charge density and water content. It was found that the region near the bone, for the normal specimens, had a significantly higher aggregate modulus (Ha1 = 20.6 +/- 18.2 MPa) in comparison with the middle zone and the surface layer (Ha2 = 7.8 +/- 14.5 MPa and Ha3 = 3.6 +/- 3.2 MPa, respectively) (p < 0.001). The normalized thickness of the deep layer h1 was 0.68 +/- 0.20. After the trypsin digestion, the parametric values decreased to Ha1 = 13.6 +/- 9.6 MPa, Ha2 = 6.7 +/- 11.5 MPa, Ha3 = 2.7 +/- 3.2 MPa, and h1 = 0.57 +/- 0.28. Other models were also used to analyze data and the results were compared. This study showed that high-frequency ultrasound measurement combined with the triphasic modeling was capable of nondestructively quantifying the alterations in the layered mechanical properties of the proteoglycan-depleted articular cartilage.

The HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) is a small basic protein containing two zinc fingers (ZF) separated by a short linker. It is involved in several steps of the replication cycle and acts as a nucleic acid chaperone protein in facilitating nucleic acid strand transfers occurring during reverse transcription. Recent analysis of three-dimensional structures of NC-nucleic acids complexes established a new property: the unpaired guanines targeted by NC are more often inserted in the C-terminal zinc finger (ZF2) than in the N-terminal zinc finger (ZF1). Although previous NMR dynamic studies were performed with NC, the dynamic behavior of the linker residues connecting the two ZF domains remains unclear. This prompted us to investigate the dynamic behavior of the linker residues. Here, we collected 15N NMR relaxation data and used for the first time data at several fields to probe the protein dynamics. The analysis at two fields allows us to detect a slow motion occurring between the two domains around a hinge located in the linker at the G35 position. However, the amplitude of motion appears limited in our conditions. In addition, we showed that the neighboring linker residues R29, A30, P31, R32, K33 displayed restricted motion and numerous contacts with residues of ZF1. Our results are fully consistent with a model in which the ZF1-linker contacts prevent the ZF1 domain to interact with unpaired guanines, whereas the ZF2 domain is more accessible and competent to interact with unpaired guanines. In contrast, ZF1 with its large hydrophobic plateau is able to destabilize the double-stranded regions adjacent to the guanines bound by ZF2. The linker residues and the internal dynamics of NC regulate therefore the different functions of the two zinc fingers that are required for an optimal chaperone activity.

Anion exchange reactions of four structurally related hydroxy salts, Cu{sub 2}(OH){sub 3}NO{sub 3}, Mg{sub 2}(OH){sub 3}NO{sub 3}, Ni{sub 2}(OH){sub 3}NO{sub 3} and Zn{sub 3}(OH){sub 4}(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} are compared and trends rationalised in terms of the strength of the covalent bond between the nitrate group and the matrix cation. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and elemental analysis are used to characterise the materials. Replacement of the nitrate anions in the zinc and copper salts with benzoate anions is possible although exchange of the zinc salt is accompanied by modification of the layer structure from one where zinc is exclusively six-fold coordinated to a structure where there is both six- and four-fold zinc coordination. Magnesium and nickel hydroxy nitrates, on the other hand, hydrolyse to their respective metal hydroxides. -- Graphical abstract: PXRD patterns of exchange products of (a) Zn{sub 3}(OH){sub 4}(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} (b) Zn{sub 5}(OH){sub 8}(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}.2H{sub 2}O and (c) Cu{sub 2}(OH){sub 3}NO{sub 3} with benzoate anions.

To realize high thermoelectric performance, it was tried to control both high electrical conductivity (σ) and low thermal conductivity (K) for the Sn-doped indium-zinc oxide films prepared by DC magnetron sputtering. The highest power factor was obtained post-annealed at 200 °C due to the highest σ. However, the highest figure of merit was obtained annealed at 500 °C. It could be attributed to both amorphous structure with low K by phonon and the highest Hall mobility. Thermoelectric and electrical properties of the film could be controlled by both heat treatment and Sn doping with high bond enthalpy.

The mechanical properties of high-temperature-vulcanization silicone (Q) rubber doped with zinc oxide (ZnO) fine powders have been investigated to develop an acoustic lens material with high reliability. The ZnO-doped Q rubber with an acoustic impedance (Z) of 1.46×106 kg·m-2·s-1 showed a tear strength of 43 N/mm and an elongation of 560%. These mechanical property values were about 3 times higher than those of conventional acoustic Q lens materials. The ZnO-doped Q rubbers also showed a lower abrasion loss. These superior characteristics are attributable to the microstructure with fewer origins of breaks; few pores and spherical fine ZnO powder. The high mechanical properties of ZnO-doped Q rubber acoustic lenses enable higher performance during long-life and safe operation during diagnosis using medical array probe applications.

Novel covalently surface-modified zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NP) (ZHIE) were successfully prepared, which have organic chains composed of hydrophilic amide and urethane linkages, and terminal amino groups on the surfaces, using zinc acetate monohydrate. FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray analysis and TEM observation suggested that the resultant ZHIE NPs have the mean sizes of about 10 nm in diameters, the organic chains linking the amino groups in the terminals and wurtzite crystal structure. UV-vis absorption spectrum of the ZHIE NPs in methanol showed maximum absorption band at 348 nm, supporting the TEM observations. Photoluminescent spectrum measurements depicted that the ZHIE NPs show broad visible emission band on the basis of trapped-electron emission. Cytotoxicity and phagocytosis assays suggested that the ZHIE NPs are noncytotoxic, and the ZHIE-labeled zymosan particles derived by conjugation of the ZHIE NPs with zymosan are internalized into the cells and generate fluorescence based on the ZHIE NPs.

Structural parameters, elastic, electronic, bonding and optical properties of zinc-blende and rocksalt GeC have been investigated using the plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential technique based on the first-principles density-functional theory (DFT). The ground-state properties obtained by minimizing the total energy are in favorable agreement with the previous work. Two phases of GeC are found to be elastically stable and we have obtained the bulk, shear and Young's modulus, Poisson's coefficient and Lamé's constants for zinc-blende and rocksalt GeC. We estimated the Debye temperature of zinc-blende and rocksalt GeC from the acoustic velocity. Electronic and chemical bonding properties have been studied. Moreover, the complex dielectric function, refractive index, extinction coefficient, optical reflectivity, absorption coefficient, energy-loss spectrum and the complex conductivity function are calculated.

The influence of thermal annealing on the photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and the transmission and reflection spectra in nanocrystalline zinc sulfide films has been studied. All the samples exhibit a broad emission band, the intensity of which depends on the annealing temperature. It is shown that luminophors, the crystal lattice of which includes imperfections that appeared in the transition from wurtzite to sphalerite, feature the highest emission intensity.

Attractive models: Synthetic Zn(II) complexes were investigated as models of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase. Superoxide underwent a unique disproportionation reaction in the electrostatic sphere of the complexes (see picture; bpy=2,2'-bipyridyl). The effectiveness of the Zn(II) complexes in inducing the disproportionation of superoxide depended on both the Lewis acidity and the coordination geometry of the Zn center.

The neutral mononuclear zinc complexes with the quinolone antibacterial drug oxolinic acid in the absence or presence of a nitrogen donor heterocyclic ligand 2,2'-bipyridine or 1,10-phenanthroline have been synthesized and characterized. The experimental data suggest that oxolinic acid is on deprotonated mode acting as a bidentate ligand coordinated to the metal ion through the ketone and one carboxylato oxygen atoms. The crystal structures of (chloro)(oxolinato)(2,2'-bipyridine)zinc(II), 2, and bis(oxolinato)(1,10-phenanthroline)zinc(II), 3, have been determined with X-ray crystallography. The biological activity of the complexes has been evaluated by examining their ability to bind to calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) with UV and fluorescence spectroscopies. UV studies of the interaction of the complexes with DNA have shown that they can bind to CT DNA and the DNA-binding constants have been calculated. Competitive studies with ethidium bromide (EB) have shown that complex 3 exhibits the ability to displace the DNA-bound EB indicating that it binds to DNA in strong competition with EB.

... other materials to make industrial items such as paint, dyes, and more. These combination substances can be ... Compounds used to make paint, rubber, dyes, wood preservatives, and ... Zinc chloride Zinc oxide (relatively nonharmful) Zinc ...

Zinc nitride and oxy-nitride thin films were prepared by reactive magnetron rf sputtering of zinc in either nitrogen-argon or nitrogen-argon-oxygen ambient. The effects of varying the total sputtering pressure and the oxygen fraction in the total sputtering gas mixture on the microstructure, electrical and optical properties were investigated. With increasing the sputtering pressure, the dominant phase comprising the film material changes from the crystalline zinc nitride phase to crystalline zinc oxide. The characteristic pressure, at which this change in the dominant phase is observed, decreases with the increase of the oxygen fraction in the total sputtering gas mixture. The increase of the oxygen content in the films (from 5 at.% to a maximum of 40 at.%) and the downward shift in the optical absorption edge (from 920 to 400 nm), combined with the x-ray diffraction data, support these observations, indicating the controllable fabrication of an oxy-nitride film material. Correlations between the films’ fabrication conditions, including post-deposition annealing, their structure and composition, and their electrical properties are examined as well.

Zinc is important. It is the second most abundant trace metal with 2-4 grams in humans. It is an essential trace element, critical for cell growth, development and differentiation, DNA synthesis, RNA transcription, cell division, and cell activation. Zinc deficiency has adverse consequences during embryogenesis and early childhood development, particularly on immune functioning. It is essential in members of all enzyme classes, including over 300 signaling molecules and transcription factors. Free zinc in immune and tumor cells is regulated by 14 distinct zinc importers (ZIP) and transporters (ZNT1-8). Zincdepletion induces cell death via apoptosis (or necrosis if apoptotic pathways are blocked) while sufficient zinc levels allows maintenance of autophagy. Cancer cells have upregulated zinc importers, and frequently increased zinc levels, which allow them to survive. Based on this novel synthesis, approaches which locally regulate zinc levels to promote survival of immune cells and/or induce tumor apoptosis are in order. PMID:21087493

Spectral properties of binuclear zinc complexes in chloroform solutions and polyvinylcarbazole (PVC) films are investigated. It is demonstrated that incorporation of a halogen atom (chlorine or bromine) in a ligand benzene ring leads to a small shift of the spectrum toward the red region and a reduction of the fluorescence quantum yield. The fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra at T = 77K are investigated. The fluorescence undergoes a blue shift of about 30 nm and multiply increases in the intensity, and the phosphorescence is observed at 540-580 nm. The phosphorescence lifetime is estimated. The electroluminescent properties of metal complexes in structures with thermal vacuum spin coating of complexes and in PVC films are investigated.

We investigated second order optical nonlinearity of zinc oxide thin films, grown on glass substrates by the dual ion beam sputtering technique under different deposition conditions. Linear optical characterization of the films was carried out by spectrophotometric optical transmittance and reflectance measurements, giving the complex refractive index dispersion. Resistivity of the films was determined using the four-point probe sheet resistance method. Second harmonic generation measurements were performed by means of the Maker fringes technique where the fundamental beam was originated by nanosecond laser at {lambda}=1064 nm. We found a relatively high nonlinear optical response, and evidence of a dependence of the nonlinear coefficient on the deposition parameters for each sample. Moreover, the crystalline properties of the films were investigated by x-ray diffraction measurements and correlation with second order nonlinearity were analyzed. Finally, we investigated the influence of the oxygen flow rate during the deposition process on both the second order nonlinearity and the structural properties of the samples.

The International Ultraviolet Explorer observations of interstellar zinc toward 10 stars are examined. It is found that zinc is at most only slightly depleted in the interstellar medium; its abundance may serve as a tracer of the true metallicity in the gas. The local interstellar medium has abundances that apparently are homogeneous to within a factor of two, when integrated over paths of about 500 pc, and this result is important for understanding the history of nucleosynthesis in the solar neighborhood. The intrinsic errors in detecting weak interstellar lines are analyzed and suggestions are made as to how this error limit may be lowered to 5 mA per target observation.

Iron homeostasis is achieved by regulating the intestinal absorption of the metal and its recycling by macrophages. Iron export from enterocytes or macrophages to blood plasma is thought to be mediated by ferroportin under the control of hepcidin. Although ferroportin was identified over a decade ago, little is understood about how it works. We expressed in Xenopus oocytes a human ferroportin-enhanced green fluorescent protein fusion protein and observed using confocal microscopy its exclusive plasma-membrane localization. As a first step in its characterization, we established an assay to detect functional expression of ferroportin by microinjecting oocytes with 55Fe and measuring efflux. Ferroportin expression increased the first-order rate constants describing 55Fe efflux up to 300-fold over control. Ferroportin-mediated 55Fe efflux was saturable, temperature-dependent (activation energy, Ea ≈ 17 kcal/mol), maximal at extracellular pH ≈ 7.5, and inactivated at extracellular pH < 6.0. We estimated that ferroportin reacts with iron at its intracellular aspect with apparent affinity constant < 10−7 M. Ferroportin expression also stimulated efflux of 65Zn and 57Co but not of 64Cu, 109Cd, or 54Mn. Hepcidin treatment of oocytes inhibited efflux of 55Fe, 65Zn, and 57Co. Whereas hepcidin administration in mice resulted in a marked hypoferremia within 4 h, we observed no effect on serum zinc levels in those same animals. We conclude that ferroportin is an iron-preferring cellular metal-efflux transporter with a narrow substrate profile that includes cobalt and zinc. Whereas hepcidin strongly regulated serum iron levels in the mouse, we found no evidence that ferroportin plays an important role in zinc homeostasis. PMID:24304836

We have synthesized nanocomposites of poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) at 273 K and zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles at 353 K by the chemical route method. The synthesis of these nanocomposites is confirmed by UV-visible, high resolution transmission electron microscope, and Raman spectroscopy. We have measured photocurrent of P3HT using 50 W tungsten lamp. The photoconductivity increases with concentration of ZnS in P3HT-ZnS composite. Temperature dependent dc conductivity of P3HT and its nanocomposites have been thoroughly investigated in light of Mott's variable range hopping.

ZnO nanostructures were Deposited on Objekttrager glasses for various pH values by chemical bath deposition method using Zn (NO3)2·6H2O (zinc nitrate hexahydrate) solution at 75°C reaction temperature without any posterior treatments. The ZnO nanostructures obtained were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD, UV). The structure was hexagonal and it was found that some peaks disappear with various pH values. The grain sizes of ZnO films increases from 22-to-29nm with increasing pH. The transmission of the films was (85-95%)

Zinc oxide is commonly used in pharmaceutical products to prevent or treat topical or systemic diseases owing to its antimicrobial properties, but it is scarcely used as preservative in topical formulations. The aim of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide (ZnO) powders on the five microbial strains used for Challenge Tests in order to evaluate this inorganic compound as a preservative in topical formulation and assess relationships between the structural parameters of ZnO particles and their antimicrobial activity. For this purpose, the physicochemical characteristics of three ZnO grades were measured and their antimicrobial efficacy against the following micro-organisms - Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus aureus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Candida albicans; Aspergillus brasiliensis - was assessed using disc diffusion susceptibility tests and a broth dilution method. The comprehensive dataset of physicochemical characteristics and antimicrobial activities (MIC and MBC) is discussed regarding methodological issues related to the particulate nature of ZnO and structure-activity relationships. Every ZnO grade showed bactericidal and antifungal activity against the five tested micro-organisms in a concentration dependent manner. ZnO particles with smaller size, larger specific area and higher porosity exhibit higher antimicrobial activity. Such trends are related to their mechanisms of antimicrobial activity.

The synthesis of two A2B2 porphyrins, {5,15-bis-[4-(octyloxy)phenyl]-porphyrinato}zinc(ii) () and {5,15-bis-(carbazol-3-yl-ethynyl)-10,20-bis-[4-(octyloxy)phenyl]-porphinato}-zinc(ii) (), is reported. Their photophysical properties were studied by steady-state absorption and emission. Substituting the carbazolylethynyl moieties at two of the meso positions results in a large bathochromic shift of all the absorption bands, a notable increase in the absorption coefficient of the Q(0,0) band, and higher fluorescence quantum yield compared to porphyrin , with two unsubstituted meso positions. Cyclic voltammetry and digital simulation show that electrogenerated radical ions of are more stable than those of . The lack of substituents at the meso positions of leads to dimerization reactions of the radical cation. Despite this, the annihilation reaction of and produces very similar electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) intensity. Spectroelectrochemical experiments demonstrate that the electroreduction of leads to a strong absorption band that might quench the ECL.

Nonlinear absorption and optical limiting properties of ZnFe2O4-rGO magnetic nanostructures was investigated by the Z-scan technique using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (5 ns, 532 nm, 10 Hz) as an excitation source. Excited state absorption was the dominant process responsible for the observed nonlinearity in ZnFe2O4 decorated rGO which arises due to photo-generated charge carriers in the conduction band of zinc ferrite and increases in defects at the surface of rGO due to the incorporation of ZnFe2O4. The magnitude of the nonlinear absorption co-efficient was found to be in the order of 10-10 m/W. A noteworthy enhancement in the third-order NLO properties in ZnFe2O4-(15 wt%) rGO with those of individual counter parts and well known graphene composites was reported. Role of induced defects states (sp3) arising from the functionalization of rGO in the enhancement of NLO response was explained through Raman studies. Earlier incorporation and distribution of ZnFe2O4 upon GO through one-step hydrothermal method was analyzed by XRD and FTIR. Formation of (nanospheres/nanospindles) ZnFe2O4 along with reduction of graphene oxide was confirmed through TEM analysis. VSM studies showed zinc ferrite decorated rGO posseses superparamagnetic behavior. The tuning of nonlinear optical and magnetic behavior with variation in the content of spinel ferrites upon reduced graphene oxide provides an easy way to attain tunable properties which are exceedingly required in both optoelectronics and photothermal therapy applications.

Zinc is an essential trace element in biological systems. For example, it acts as a cellular membrane stabiliser, plays a critical role in gene expression and genome modification and activates nearly 300 enzymes, including alcohol dehydrogenase. The present chapter will be focused on the influence of zinc on cell physiology of industrial yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with special regard to the uptake and subsequent utilisation of this metal. Zinc uptake by yeast is metabolism-dependent, with most of the available zinc translocated very quickly into the vacuole. At cell division, zinc is distributed from mother to daughter cells and this effectively lowers the individual cellular zinc concentration, which may become zincdepleted at the onset of the fermentation. Zinc influences yeast fermentative performance and examples will be provided relating to brewing and wine fermentations. Industrial yeasts are subjected to several stresses that may impair fermentation performance. Such stresses may also impact on yeast cell zinc homeostasis. This chapter will discuss the practical implications for the correct management of zinc bioavailability for yeast-based biotechnologies aimed at improving yeast growth, viability, fermentation performance and resistance to environmental stresses

The dinuclear Zn 2+ complex [Zn(HSSC)OAc] 2·2DMF (H 2SSC = salicylaldehyde semicarbazone; HOAc = acetic acid; DMF = N,N-dimethylfomamide) was prepared and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray. The basic structural unit of the complex is a dinuclear complex [Zn(HSSC)OAc] 2 in which the semicarbazone ligand adopts the phenol-imine form. The deprotonated phenol group forms a one-atom bridge between the two zinc centers, and both of the zinc centers are five-coordinated. The local coordination environment of Zn 2+ can be approximately considered as square pyramidal. UV spectral studies show that the H 2SSC provides strong binding of Zn 2+ in a 1:1 ratio in solution. The conditional binding constant of the complex is lg KZn-L = 12.89 ± 0.76 in 0.05 M Tris-HCl buffer at pH 7.4. The H 2SSC exhibits an enhanced fluorescence effect by the addition of Zn 2+, and affords an excellent selectivity for Zn 2+ under physiological conditions.

Direct reaction of ZnO with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (24D) solutions of different concentrations allows obtaining new organic–inorganic nanohybrid materials formed by intercalation of 24D into interlayers of zinc layered hydroxide (ZLH). XRD patterns show a progressive evolution of the structure as 24D concentration increases. The nanohybrid obtained at higher 24D concentration (24D–ZLH(0.4)) reveals a well ordered layered structure with two different basal spacings at 25.2 Å and 24 Å. The FTIR spectrum showing the vibrations bands of the functional groups of 24D and of the ZLH confirms the intercalation. SEM images are in agreement with the structural evolution observed by XRD and reveal the ribbon morphology of the nanohybrids. The release studies of 24D showed a rapid release of 94% for the first 100 min governed by the pseudo-second order kinetic model. - Graphical abstract: The phenomenon indicates that the optical energy gap is enlarged with the increase of molar concentrations in 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetate anion content into ZnO to create a ZLH–24D nanohybrid. - Highlights: • Nanohybrid was synthesized from 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetate with-Zinc LHD, using wet chemistry. • Characterized using SEM, TEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD and TGA. • Ribbon-shaped 24D–Zn-layered hydroxide nanoparticles with (003) diffractions of 2.5 nm phase were synthesized.

Nanocrystalline nickel-zinc ferrites (Ni 0.58Zn 0.42Fe 2O 4) at different pH values (less than 9.6, 9.6, 10.96, and 11.40) for the alkali-precipitating reaction were synthesized by reverse micelle technique. X-ray diffraction reveals a well-defined nickel-zinc ferrite crystal phase at pH=9.6. Increase in pH value obstructs pure-phase formation and results in partial formation of α-Fe 2O 3. The magnetic behaviour of the samples was studied by superconducting quantum interference device. All the samples show superparamagnetic behaviour at room temperature (300 K) and negligible hysteresis at low temperature (5 K). The low value of saturation magnetization is explained on the basis of spin canting. The high-field irreversibility and shifting of the hysteresis loop detected in single-phase sample has been assigned to a spin-disordered phase, which has a spin-freezing temperature of approximately 42 K and other two samples have an antiferromagnetic phase (α-Fe 2O 3) coupled to the ferromagnetic phase.

Zinc-nickel citrate microspheres are prepared by a simple aging process of zinc citrate solid microspheres in nickel nitrate solution. As the concentration of nickel nitrate solution increases, the morphology of the produced zinc-nickel citrate evolves from solid, yolk-shell to hollow microspheres. The formation mechanism of different zinc-nickel citrate microspheres is discussed. After annealing treatment of the corresponding zinc-nickel citrate microspheres in air, three different ZnO-NiO hybrid architectures including solid, yolk-shell and hollow microspheres can be successfully fabricated. When applied as the anode materials for lithium ion batteries, ZnO-NiO hybrid yolk-shell microspheres demonstrate the best electrochemical properties than solid and hollow counterparts. After 200th cycles, ZnO-NiO hybrid yolk-shell microspheres deliver a high reversible capacity of 1176 mA h g-1. The unique yolk-shell configuration, the synergetic effect between ZnO and NiO and the catalytic effect of metal Ni generated by the reduction of NiO during discharging process are responsible for the excellent lithium storage properties of ZnO-NiO hybrid yolk-shell microspheres.

We study the illumination effect on the ferroelectric properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) film grown by DC-unbalanced magnetron sputtering. We focus on the P–E hysteresis response of the as-grown ZnO (ag-ZnO) and annealed-ZnO (ann-ZnO) films under dark and light conditions. The measurement of ferroelectric properties is performed by driving a positive voltage on the top-side of the films. Under the dark condition, a strong P–E response is observable on the ann-ZnO film due to the structural enhancement. The value of electrical coercivity for ferroelectric polarization is strongly related to the light illumination. The illumination treatment changed the P–E hysteresis of the ZnO films from symmetric to asymmetric. We found that higher energy illumination promotes a higher electric coercivity. These results confirmed that ferroelectric properties could be effectively tailored by tuning the energy of the light source. This interrelated electrical and optical properties is an important phenomenon to design a new light-induced non-volatile device application.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor material with applications in a variety of fields such as electronics, optoelectronic and solar cells. However, much of these applications demand a reproducible, reliable and controllable synthesis method that takes special care of their functional properties. In this work ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO nanowires are obtained by an optimized hydrothermal method, following the promising results which ZnO nanostructures have shown in the past few years. The morphology of as-prepared and copper-doped ZnO nanostructures is investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction is used to study the impact of doping on the crystalline structure of the wires. Furthermore, the mechanical properties (nanoindentation) and the functional properties (absorption and photoluminescence measurements) of ZnO nanostructures are examined in order to assess their applicability in photovoltaics, piezoelectric and hybrids nanodevices. This work shows a strong correlation between growing conditions, morphology, doping and mechanical as well as optical properties of ZnO nanowires.

Transparent conductive electrodes for applications in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes are important components and require low sheet resistance and high transmittance. Herein, we report an enhancement of the electrical properties of silver (Ag) nanowire networks by coating with zinc oxide using the atomic layer deposition technique. A strong decrease in the sheet resistance of Ag nanowires, namely from 20-40 Ω/□ to 7-15 Ω/□, was observed after coating with ZnO. Ag nanowire electrodes coated with 200-cycle ZnO by atomic layer deposition show the best quality, with a sheet resistance of 11 Ω/□ and transmittance of 75%.

Ceramic spinel-based ferrites of cobalt, nickel and zinc were prepared by means of the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. All samples were thoroughly characterized using different techniques for their structural, compositional, phonic and magnetic properties. The Rietveld analysis of x-ray powder diffraction data revealed the crystallinity as well single-phase partially inverse spinel structure. Wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence measurement indicates a good correlation between the empirical stoichiometry. The estimated average crystallite size varies between 9 nm and 13 nm (XRPD) and 6 and 14 nm for high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements. In addition, the observed micro-strain varies in the range of 0.01-0.6%. All samples show a quasi-spherical morphology and slight agglomeration. Infrared and Raman data spectra exhibit characteristic modes for spinel-based ferrites. Direct current magnetic measurements indicate behavior typical of magnetically soft materials system at 300 K.

In this research, we reported on the fabrication of top-contact amorphous-indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an organic buffer layer between inorganic gate dielectric and active layer in order to improve the electrical properties of devices. By inserting an organic buffer layer, it was possible to make an affirmation of the improvements in the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs such as subthreshold slope (SS), on/off current ratio (I(ON/OFF)), off-state current, and saturation field-effect mobility (muFE). The a-IGZO TFTs with the cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (c-PVA) buffer layer exhibited the pronounced improvements of the muFE (17.4 cm2/Vs), SS (0.9 V/decade), and I(ON/OFF) (8.9 x 10(6)).

The properties of polarons in zinc-blende and wurtzite GaN/AlN quantum wells with Fröhlich interaction Hamiltonians are compared in detail. The energy shifts of polarons at ground state due to the interface (IF), confined (CO) and half-space phonon modes are calculated by a finite-difference computation combined with a modified LLP variational method. It is found that the two Fröhlich interaction Hamiltonians are consistent with each other when the anisotropic effect from the z-direction and the x-y plane is neglected. The influence of the anisotropy on the polaron energy shifts due to the IF phonon modes for a smaller well width or due to the CO phonon modes for a moderate well width is obvious. In addition, the built-in electric field has a remarkable effect on the polaron energy shifts contributed by the various phonon modes.

Magnetic, nano-crystalline samples of zinc substituted nickel ferrite, (ZnxNi1-xFe2O4 for x = 0.0-0.9 in step of 0.2), are synthesized using microwave combustion synthesis technique. The structural properties of Ni-Zn are determined using X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy; Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy and neutron diffraction techniques. Average crystalline size obtained from X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction is in the range of 30-60 nm. The cation distribution obtained from X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction show that Zn occupies only tetrahedral A-site in the spinel lattice. The values of magnetic moment derived from magnetization measurements and neutron diffraction agrees nearly 97 % to that of bulk at 300 K. This methodology can be used to prepare large quantities (about 10 g) of sample at one time using kitchen microwave oven working at 1,200 W power.

Zinc oxide-graphene oxide nanocomposite layers were submitted to laser irradiation in air or controlled nitrogen atmosphere using a frequency quadrupled Nd:YAG (λ = 266 nm, τ{sub FWHM} ≅ 3 ns, ν = 10 Hz) laser source. The experiments were performed in air at atmospheric pressure or in nitrogen at a pressure of 2 × 10{sup 4} Pa. The effect of the irradiation conditions, incident laser fluence value, and number of subsequent laser pulses on the surface morphology of the composite material was systematically investigated. The obtained results reveal that nitrogen incorporation improves significantly the wetting and photoactive properties of the laser processed layers. The kinetics of water contact angle variation when the samples are submitted to laser irradiation in nitrogen are faster than that of the samples irradiated in air, the surfaces becoming super-hydrophilic under UV light irradiation.

Transparent conductive electrodes for applications in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes are important components and require low sheet resistance and high transmittance. Herein, we report an enhancement of the electrical properties of silver (Ag) nanowire networks by coating with zinc oxide using the atomic layer deposition technique. A strong decrease in the sheet resistance of Ag nanowires, namely from 20-40 Ω/□ to 7-15 Ω/□, was observed after coating with ZnO. Ag nanowire electrodes coated with 200-cycle ZnO by atomic layer deposition show the best quality, with a sheet resistance of 11 Ω/□ and transmittance of 75%.

We investigated the effect on the electronic properties of aluminum (Al)-zinc oxide (ZnO) films by modulating the radio frequency sputtering power. Our experimental results show that increasing the sputtering power increases the Al doping concentration, decreases the resistivity, and also shifts the Zn 2p and O 1s to higher binding energy states. Our local-density approximation (LDA) and LDA+U calculations show that the shift in higher binding energy and resistivity decrease are due to an enhancement of the O 2p-Zn 3d coupling and the modification of the Zn 4s-O 2p interaction in ZnO induced by Al doping.

To investigate the thermal reliability of the structure and thermoelectric properties of the zinc antimony compounds, undoped (Zn4Sb3) and doped (Zn4Sb2.95Sn0.05 and Co0.05Zn3.95Sb3) zinc antimonide samples were processed using the powder metallurgy route. It was observed that the as-prepared undoped sample contains a pure β-Zn4Sb3 phase, whereas the doped samples consist of Ω-ZnSb as the major phase and β-Zn4Sb3 as the minor phase. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis confirms the stability of the β-Zn4Sb3 phase up to 600 K. X-ray diffraction data of the undoped and doped samples show that the nanocrystallinity of the as-prepared samples is retained after one thermal cycle. The thermal bandgap, thermopower and thermal conductivity are not affected by the thermal cycle for the doped samples. A maximum power factor of 0.6 mW m-1 K-2 was achieved in the Sn-doped sample (Zn4Sb2.95Sn0.05). This is enhanced to 0.72 mW m-1 K-2 after one thermal cycle at 650 K under Ar atmosphere and slightly decreases after the third thermal cycle. In the case of the Co-doped sample (Co0.05Zn3.95Sb3), the power factor increases from 0.4 mW m-1 K-2 to 0.7 mW m-1 K-2 after the third thermal cycle. A figure of merit of ~0.3 is achieved at 573 K in the Zn4Sb2.95Sn0.05 sample. The results from the nanoindentation experiment show that Young’s modulus of the Sn-doped sample (Zn4Sb2.95Sn0.05) after the thermal cycle is enhanced (96 GPa) compared to the as-prepared sample (~76 GPa). These important findings on the thermal stability of the thermoelectric and mechanical properties of Sn-doped samples (Zn4Sb2.95Sn0.05) confirm that Sn-doped zinc antimonide samples can be used as efficient thermoelectric materials for device applications.

IUE observations toward 10 stars have shown that zinc is not depleted in the interstellar medium by more than a factor of two, suggesting that its abundance may serve as a tracer of the true metallicity in the gas. A result pertinent to the history of nucleosynthesis in the solar neighborhood is that the local interstellar medium has abundances that appear to be homogeneous to within a factor of two, when integrated over paths of about 500 pc.

A dysprosium-zinc porphyrin, [DyZn(TPPS)H3O]n (1) (TPPS = tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin), was prepared through solvothermal reactions and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Complex 1 features a three-dimensional (3-D) porous open framework that is thermally stable up to 400 °C. Complex 1 displays a void space of 215 Å(3), occupying 9.2% of the unit cell volume. The fluorescence spectra reveal that it shows an emission band in the red region. The fluorescence lifetime is 39 µsec and the quantum yield is 1.7%. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement revealed one quasi-reversible wave with E1/2 = 0.30 V.

Experimental proton single-particle energies in the vicinity of the Fermi energy for stable zinc and germanium isotopes are analyzed on the basis the dispersive optical model. The values found for the parameters of the dispersive optical potential are corrected with the aim of matching the total number of protons that is calculated with the aid of the function of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory for the occupation probability for single-particle orbits with the charge number Z of the nucleus. The parameters of the dispersive optical potential are extrapolated on the basis of physically motivated arguments to the region of unstable isotopes in which the number N ranges between 34 and 50, and single-particle spectra are predicted by means of calculations with these parameters.

The synthesis and photophysical parameters of two novel isosteric cationic zinc(II) phthalocyanines: 2,9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis[(N-butyl-N-methylammoniumethylsulfanyl]phthalocyaninatozinc(II) tetraiodide (6) and 2,9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis[(N-dibutyl-N-methylammonium)ethoxy]phthalocyaninatozinc(II) tetraiodide (7) were investigated. Maximum absorption values were 686.5 nm and 678 nm for 6 and 7, respectively, whereas singlet molecular oxygen generation was 0.42 and 0.67, respectively. The photodynamic effect and the cellular uptake of both phthalocyanines were evaluated on human nasopharynx KB carcinoma cells. After light exposure, phthalocyanine 6 showed a higher cytotoxic activity than 7. In addition, a higher intracellular uptake of 6 and a preferential localization within lysosomes were demonstrated. The production of a greater amount of reactive oxygen species after phthalocyanine 6 irradiation would be responsible for its potent phototoxic action on KB cells.

Naocrystalline ferrites Mn{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00) were prepared by combustion method. The samples were characterized by XRD technique. The dielectric measurements were carried out in the frequency range 40 Hz to 100 MHz at room temperature. All the measurements were performed before and after gamma {sup 60}Co irradiation. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the formation of nanocrystalline and single-phase spinel structure. The lattice parameter decrease with zinc ion concentration and increased after the irradiation due to ferric ions of smaller radius converted to ferrous ions of larger radius. The dielectric behavior is attributed to the Maxwell-Wagner type interfacial polarization. The dielctric contant, dielectric loss and AC conductivity enhanced after the irradiation.

X-type Barium-Zinc hexaferrite powder with chemical composition Ba2Zn2Fe28O46 has been prepared using citrate gel auto combustion technique. The combusted powder waspre-heated at 550 °C for 4 hours followed by final calcinations of 1100 °C and 1250 °C for 5 hoursrespectively. Prepared hexaferrite samples were characterizedusingdifferent instrumental techniques such as FTIR and XRD. XRD analysis of the sample calcined at 1250 °C revealed formation of mono phase of X-type hexaferrite; while the sample calcined at 1100 °C shows multiphases of M, W and X-type hexaferrites. FTIR spectra of both samples show stretching of metal-oxide bands.

Unalloyed uranium is a candidate material for shaped charge liners used in conventional ordinance applications. For test purposes, it was decided that a high-grade uranium material with good toughness should be used. This report describes a process for producing a high-purity (less than 500 ppM total impurities) wrought material consisting of a recrystallized, equiaxed grain structure with a 10 micron (ASTM-8) average grain size. The fabrication process is discussed in detail. In all, six material conditions having a wide range of mechanical and structural properties were investigated. The tensile, hardness, and microstructural properties of these six material conditions are reported in detail.

In this study, 4-{4-[N-((3-dimethylamino)propyl)amide]phenoxy}phthalonitrile () and its zinc(ii) phthalocyanine derivative () were synthesized for the first time. 4-(N-((3-Dimethylamino)propyl)amide)phenoxy substituted zinc(ii) phthalocyanine () was converted to its water-soluble sulfobetaine (), betaine () and N-oxide () containing zwitterionic and quaternized cationic () derivatives. All newly synthesized compounds () were characterized by the combination of UV-vis, FT-IR, (1)H NMR, mass spectroscopy techniques and elemental analysis. The photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical (singlet oxygen quantum yields) properties were investigated in DMSO for all the synthesized zinc(ii) phthalocyanines () and in both DMSO and aqueous solutions for zwitterionic and cationic phthalocyanines () for the specification of their capability as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT). The binding behavior of water soluble phthalocyanines () to the bovine serum albumin protein was also examined for the determination of their transportation ability in the blood stream.

Non-classical ionomer glasses like those based on zinc-boron-germanium glasses are of special interest in a variety of medical applications owning to their unique combination of properties and potential therapeutic efficacy. These features may be of particular benefit with respect to the utilization of glass ionomer cements for minimally invasive dental applications such as the atruamatic restorative treatment, but also for expanded clinical applications in orthopedics and oral-maxillofacial surgery. A unique system of zinc-boron-germanium-based glasses (10 compositions in total) has been designed using a Design of Mixtures methodology. In the first instance, ionomer glasses were examined via differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and (11)B MAS NMR spectroscopy to establish fundamental composition - structure-property relationships for the unique system. Secondly, cements were synthesized based on each glass and handling characteristics (working time, Wt, and setting time, St) and compression strength were quantified to facilitate the development of both experimental and mathematical composition-structure-property relationships for the new ionomer cements. The novel glass ionomer cements were found to provide Wt, St, and compression strength in the range of 48-132 s, 206-602 s, and 16-36 MPa, respectively, depending on the ZnO/GeO2 mol fraction of the glass phase. A lower ZnO mol fraction in the glass phase provides higher glass transition temperature, higher N4 rate, and in combination with careful modulation of GeO2 mol fraction in the glass phase provides a unique approach to extending the Wt and St of glass ionomer cement without compromising (in fact enhancing) compression strength. The data presented in this work provide valuable information for the formulation of alternative glass ionomer cements for applications within and beyond the dental clinic, especially where conventional approaches to modulating working time and strength exhibit co

ZnO nanotubes with the wurtzite structure have been successfully synthesized via simple hydrothermal solution route using zinc nitrate, urea and KOH for the first time. The structural, compositions and morphology architectures of the as synthesized ZnO nanotubes was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and high resolution transmission scanning electron microscopy (HRTEM). TEM showed that ZnO nanotubes exhibited a wall thickness of less than 2 nm, with an average diameter of 17 nm and the length is 2 μm. In addition, the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanotubes was carried out in vitro against two kinds of bacteria: gram - negative bacteria (G -ve) i.e. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and gram - positive bacteria (G +ve) i.e. Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, this work demonstrates that simply synthesized ZnO nanotubes have excellent potencies, being ideal antibacterial agents for many biomedical applications.

The mechanical strength of magnetic polymer nanocomposite (MPNC) of nickel zinc (NiZn) ferrite nanoparticles incorporated with polylactic acid (PLA) and liquid natural rubber (LNR) as compatibilizer is reported. The matrix was prepared from PLA and LNR in the ratio of 90:10. The MPNC were prepared at constant mixing temperature at 180°C, mixing time of 15 min. and mixing speed of 100 rpm. In order to achieve a good dispersion of NiZn ferrite in the matrix, firstly an ultrasonic treatment had been employed to mix the LNR and NiZn ferrite for 1 hour. The MPNC of PLA/LNR/NiZn ferrite then were prepared via Thermo Haake internal mixer using melt-blending method from different filler loading from 1-5 wt% NiZn ferrite. The result of tensile tests showed that as the filler loading increases the tensile strength also increases until an optimum value of filler loading was reached. The Young's modulus, tensile strength and elongation at break have also increased. The study proves that NiZn ferrite is excellent reinforcement filler in PLA matrix. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were meant to show the homogeneity dispersion of nanoparticles within the matrix and to confirm the elemental composition of NiZn ferrites-PLA/LNR nanocomposites respectively.

Highly transparent conductive Zinc Aluminum Oxide (ZAO) thin films have been deposited on glass substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering method. The thin films were deposited at 200 °C and post-deposition annealing from 15 to 90 min. XRD patterns of ZAO films exhibit only (0 0 2) diffraction peak, indicating that they have c-axis preferred orientation perpendicular to the substrate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to study the surface morphology of the films. The grain size obtained from SEM images of ZAO thin films are found to be in the range of 20 - 26 nm. The minimum resistivity of 1.74 × 10{sup −4} Ω cm and an average transmittance of 92% are obtained for the thin film post annealed for 30 min. The optical band gap of ZAO thin films increased from 3.49 to 3.60 eV with the increase of annealing time due to Burstein-Moss effect. The optical constants refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) were also determined from the optical transmission spectra.

A glass system based on ZnF2-ZnO-As2O3-TeO2 was prepared. A number of properties such as glass transition temperature, glass stability, Elastic moduli, Debye temperature, poisons ratio studies. The results indicated that most of the properties are observed to be dependent on ZnF2 content.

By converting waste heat into electricity, thermoelectric generators could be an important part of the solution to today's energy challenges. The compound Zn4Sb3 is one of the most efficient thermoelectric materials known. Its high efficiency results from an extraordinarily low thermal conductivity in conjunction with the electronic structure of a heavily doped semiconductor. Previous structural studies have been unable to explain this unusual combination of properties. Here, we show through a comprehensive structural analysis using single-crystal X-ray and powder-synchrotron-radiation diffraction methods, that both the electronic and thermal properties of Zn4Sb3 can be understood in terms of unique structural features that have been previously overlooked. The identification of Sb3- ions and Sb-2(4-) dimers reveals that Zn4Sb3 is a valence semiconductor with the ideal stoichiometry Zn13Sb10. In addition, the structure contains significant disorder, with zinc atoms distributed over multiple positions. The discovery of glass-like interstitial sites uncovers a highly effective mechanism for reducing thermal conductivity. Thus Zn4Sb3 is in many ways an ideal 'phonon glass, electron crystal' thermoelectric material.

Y2O3-doped IZO (YIZO) films was investigated in order to control the carrier concentration of semiconducting IZO layer. Stoichiometric thin YIZO films were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method using indium zinc oxide (IZO) including 50 wt.% ZnO and Y2O3 targets. During the deposition of YIZO films, the working pressure was fixed at 0.17 Pa and the deposition temperature was kept at room temperature while the oxygen partial pressure (P(O2)) was changed to find the optimal film condition. In order to check the PO2 effect on structural, electrical and optical properties of the grown YIZO layer on glass, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to analyze the structure of YIZO films and the electrical properties were characterized by Hall measurements using the Van der Pauw geometry at room temperature. From the measured XRD patterns, exhibiting crystalline peak of the YIZO film deposited under PO2 condition is revealed while amorphous phase structure is only observed from the YIZO film deposited under pure Ar gas condition. As the O2 contents in gas increase, the resistivity of YIZO film also drastically increases, whereas the carrier concentration of the YIZO films sharply decreases with mobility.

Zinc oxide films were deposited on three different metal coated substrates (gold, nickel and platinum) by aqueous chemical growth method. This paper discusses the effect of metal coated substrates on the morphology and optical properties of grown ZnO films. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) were employed to characterize the samples. All the as-deposited ZnO films exhibit crystalline hexagonal wurzite structure. The crystallite size of the ZnO films were in the range of 29 to 32 nm. FESEM micrographs revealed hexagonal rod, oval-like and flower-like ZnO structures formed on all metal coated substrates. The Pt coated film contains higher density hexagonal rod as compared to others metal coated substrate. Most probably the Pt lattice parameter is the nearest to ZnO compared to nickel and gold. The optical band gap energy, Eg of ZnO films were estimated to be 3.30 eV which is near to bulk Eg, 3.37 eV. This indicates that the ZnO grown by aqueous chemical growth is able to produce similar quality properties to other conventional method either films or bulk size.

By converting waste heat into electricity, thermoelectric generators could be an important part of the solution to today's energy challenges. The compound Zn(4)Sb(3) is one of the most efficient thermoelectric materials known. Its high efficiency results from an extraordinarily low thermal conductivity in conjunction with the electronic structure of a heavily doped semiconductor. Previous structural studies have been unable to explain this unusual combination of properties. Here, we show through a comprehensive structural analysis using single-crystal X-ray and powder-synchrotron-radiation diffraction methods, that both the electronic and thermal properties of Zn(4)Sb(3) can be understood in terms of unique structural features that have been previously overlooked. The identification of Sb(3-) ions and Sb(2)(4-) dimers reveals that Zn(4)Sb(3) is a valence semiconductor with the ideal stoichiometry Zn(13)Sb(10). In addition, the structure contains significant disorder, with zinc atoms distributed over multiple positions. The discovery of glass-like interstitial sites uncovers a highly effective mechanism for reducing thermal conductivity. Thus Zn(4)Sb(3) is in many ways an ideal 'phonon glass, electron crystal' thermoelectric material.

While the photophysical properties of ZnO nanostructures have been widely explored, less research has focused on the bulk material present in artist pigments. This study is based on the analysis of historical pastels, representative of artist materials available at the turn of the twentieth century, and of the pure powder pigment as the control sample. The study of the intensity of the photoluminescence emission as a function of the fluence and of the nanosecond and microsecond emission decay kinetic properties allows the elucidation of the emission mechanisms in control ZnO and historical samples containing ZnO. Data suggest that in historical samples the near-band-edge free-exciton photoluminescence emission, typically occurring in the pure semiconductor, is influenced by the interaction of the pigment with surrounding organic binding material. Conversely, crystal defects, typically expected in historical samples following the imperfect synthesis process available at the beginning of the twentieth century, introduce minor modifications to the photoluminescence emission. The study further suggests that zinc carboxylates, detected in all historical samples and known to introduce characteristic groups on the surface of ZnO, could be responsible for changes in emission mechanisms. Research demonstrates how photoluminescence decay kinetics and the study of the dependence of the emission intensity on the fluence are powerful methods for elucidating the nature of the mechanism processes in luminescent semiconductor pigments.

The blood rheological properties serve as an important indicator for the early detection of many diseases. This study aimed to investigate the influence of zinc (Zn) on blood serum of cadmium (Cd) intoxication-treated male rats through the rheological properties. The rheological parameters were measured in serum of control, Cd, and Cd+Zn groups at wide range of shear rates (225-1875 s(-1)). The rat blood serum showed a non-significant change in cadmium-treated rats' %torque and shear stress at the lower shear rates (200-600 s(-1)) while a significant increase was observed at the higher shear rates (650-1875 s(-1)) compared with the control. The rat blood serum viscosity increased significantly in the Cd-treated group at each shear rate compared with the control. The viscosity and shear rate exhibited a non-Newtonian behavior for all groups. The increase in blood serum viscosity in Cd-treated male rats might be attributed to destruction or changes in the non-clotting proteins, and other blood serum components. In Cd+Zn-treated rats, the rat blood serum viscosity values returned nearer to the control values at each shear rate. Our results confirmed that Zn displaced Cd or compete with the binding sites for Cd uptake.

Tb3+-doped zinc phosphate glasses of composition in mol%: (100.0 - x)Zn(PO3)2 - xTb2O3, x = 0.6, 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0, were prepared by conventional melt quenching technique and characterized by photoluminescence and decay time spectroscopy. The integrated intensities of the 5D4 → 7F5 (green at 541 nm) and 5D3 → 7F4 (blue at 435 nm) emissions and their intensity ratios IG/IB upon 350 nm excitation have been evaluated as function of Tb3+ concentration. The CIE1931 color of the glasses excited at 350 nm varies from turquoise to green by increasing the Tb3+ content. The increased IG/IB ratio up to a factor of 364 for the phosphor with the highest Tb3+ content (ZP5Tb) is consistent with the observed shift toward the green region in the CIE coordinates, so that the ZP5Tb glass exhibits a green color purity of 66.9% with chromaticity coordinates (0.290, 0.581), being very close to those (0.29, 0.60) of European Broadcasting Union illuminant green. This interesting feature of the ZP5Tb phosphor, together with an experimental branching ratio larger than 60% of the 5D4 → 7F5 green emission, highlights its capability as solid state green laser pumped by AlGaN (350 nm) LEDs. The decay time profiles of the 5D3 level resulted to be non-exponential for all the studied concentrations due to energy transfer between Tb3+ ions through cross-relaxation. Such decay profiles were well fitted to the Inokuti-Hirayama model for S = 6, which indicates that an electric dipole-dipole interaction might be the dominant mechanism in the cross-relaxation energy transfer occurring in Tb3+ ion clusters.

This work investigates properties of surface plasmons on doped metal oxides in the 2-20 μm wavelength regime. By varying the stoichiometry in pulse laser deposited Ga and Al doped ZnO, the plasmonic properties can be controlled via a fluctuating free carrier concentration. This deterministic approach may enable one to develop the most appropriate stoichometry of ZnAlO and ZnGaO in regards to specific plasmonic applications for particular IR wavelengths. Presented are theoretical and experimental investigations pertaining to ZnAlO and ZnGaO as surface plasmon host materials. Samples are fabricated via pulsed laser deposition and characterized by infrared ellipsometry and Hall-effect measurements. Complex permittivity spectra are presented, as well as plasmon properties such as the field propagation lengths and penetration depths, in the infrared range of interest. Drude considerations are utilized to determine how the optical properties may change with doping. Finite element simulations verify these plasmonic properties. These materials not only offer potential use as IR plasmon hosts for sensor applications, but also offer new integrated device possibilities due to stoichiometric control of electrical and optical properties.

A scaffold for bone tissue engineering should have highly interconnected porous structure, appropriate mechanical and biological properties. In this work, we fabricated well-interconnected porous β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds via selective laser sintering (SLS). We found that the mechanical and biological properties of the scaffolds were improved by doping of zinc oxide (ZnO). Our data showed that the fracture toughness increased from 1.09 to 1.40 MPam1/2, and the compressive strength increased from 3.01 to 17.89 MPa when the content of ZnO increased from 0 to 2.5 wt%. It is hypothesized that the increase of ZnO would lead to a reduction in grain size and an increase in density of the strut. However, the fracture toughness and compressive strength decreased with further increasing of ZnO content, which may be due to the sharp increase in grain size. The biocompatibility of the scaffolds was investigated by analyzing the adhesion and the morphology of human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells cultured on the surfaces of the scaffolds. The scaffolds exhibited better and better ability to support cell attachment and proliferation when the content of ZnO increased from 0 to 2.5 wt%. Moreover, a bone like apatite layer formed on the surfaces of the scaffolds after incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF), indicating an ability of osteoinduction and osteoconduction. In summary, interconnected porous β-TCP scaffolds doped with ZnO were successfully fabricated and revealed good mechanical and biological properties, which may be used for bone repair and replacement potentially. PMID:24498185

A scaffold for bone tissue engineering should have highly interconnected porous structure, appropriate mechanical and biological properties. In this work, we fabricated well-interconnected porous β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds via selective laser sintering (SLS). We found that the mechanical and biological properties of the scaffolds were improved by doping of zinc oxide (ZnO). Our data showed that the fracture toughness increased from 1.09 to 1.40 MPam(1/2), and the compressive strength increased from 3.01 to 17.89 MPa when the content of ZnO increased from 0 to 2.5 wt%. It is hypothesized that the increase of ZnO would lead to a reduction in grain size and an increase in density of the strut. However, the fracture toughness and compressive strength decreased with further increasing of ZnO content, which may be due to the sharp increase in grain size. The biocompatibility of the scaffolds was investigated by analyzing the adhesion and the morphology of human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells cultured on the surfaces of the scaffolds. The scaffolds exhibited better and better ability to support cell attachment and proliferation when the content of ZnO increased from 0 to 2.5 wt%. Moreover, a bone like apatite layer formed on the surfaces of the scaffolds after incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF), indicating an ability of osteoinduction and osteoconduction. In summary, interconnected porous β-TCP scaffolds doped with ZnO were successfully fabricated and revealed good mechanical and biological properties, which may be used for bone repair and replacement potentially.

Owing to the unique microstructure and high specific surface area, activated carbon (AC) could act as an excellent adsorbent for wastewater treatment and good carrier for functional materials. In this paper, manganese–zinc ferrites (Mn{sub 0.5}Zn{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}: MZF) were anchored into AC by hydrothermal method, resulting in the excellent magnetic response for AC nanocomposites in wastewater treatment. All results demonstrated the magnetic nanoparticles presented a spinel phase structure and existed in the pores of AC. The saturation magnetization (Ms) of MZF/AC nanocomposites increased with the ferrites content, while the pore volume and specific surface area declined. The Sample-5 possessed the specific surface area of 1129 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} (close to 1243 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} of AC) and Ms of 3.96 emu g{sup −1}. Furthermore, the adsorptive performance for organic dyes was studied and 99% methylene blue was adsorbed in 30 min. The magnetic AC nanocomposites could be separated easily from solution by magnetic separation technique. - Graphical abstract: The Sample-5 presented both good magnetic response and high BET surface area up to 1129 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} (close to AC of 1243 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}), which could be separated completely for about 60 s. MZF/AC nanocomposites (Sample-3, 4, 5) in our work could be used as the magnetic absorbents, which could be separated easily by an outer magnet after the MB adsorption. - Highlights: • Mn{sub 0.5}Zn{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (MZF) as few as possible was implanted into activated carbon (AC) for the higher surface area. • Sample-5 possessed the high specific surface area (1129 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}) and the suitable Ms (3.96 emu g{sup −1}). • Methylene blue was adsorbed almost completely by MZF/AC nanocomposites in 30 min. • MZF/AC nanocomposites were separated easily from solution by magnetic separation technique.

The problem of backreaction of quantum processes on the properties of the background field still remains on the list of outstanding questions of high intensity particle physics. Usually, photon emission by an electron or positron, photon decay into electron-positron pairs in strong electromagnetic fields, or electron-positron pair production by such fields are described in the framework of the external field approximation. It is assumed that the external field has infinite energy and is not affected by these processes. However, the above-mentioned processes have a multi-photon nature, i.e., they occur with the absorption of a significant number of field photons. As a result, the interaction of an intense electromagnetic field with either a highly charged electron bunch or a fast growing population of electrons, positrons, and gamma photons (as in the case of an electromagnetic cascade) may lead to a depletion of the field energy, thus making the external field approximation invalid. Taking the multi-photon Compton process as an example, we estimate the threshold of depletion and find it to become significant at field strengths (a0˜103) and electron bunch charge of about tens of nC.

A polymer collapses in a solvent when the solvent particles dislike monomers more than the repulsion between monomers. This leads to an effective attraction between monomers, also referred to as depletion induced attraction. This attraction is the key factor behind standard polymer collapse in poor solvents. Strikingly, even if a polymer exhibits poor solvent condition in two different solvents, it can also swell in mixtures of these two poor solvents. This collapse-swelling-collapse scenario is displayed by poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in aqueous alcohol. Using molecular dynamics simulations of a thermodynamically consistent generic model and theoretical arguments, we unveil the microscopic origin of this phenomenon. Our analysis suggests that a subtle interplay of the bulk solution properties and the local depletion forces reduces depletion effects, thus dictating polymer swelling in poor solvent mixtures.

In the present work, we have deposited indium-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:In) thin films by chemical bath deposition technique (CBD). The structural properties studied by X-ray diffraction indicate that ZnS:In has a cubic structure with an average crystallite size 4.7-11.0 nm. Transmission and reflection spectra reveal the presence of interference fringes indicating thickness uniformity and surface homogeneity of deposited material. All the films were transparent in the visible and infrared regions (⩾60%), which allows us to use this material as an optical window or a buffer layer in solar cells. The obtained band gap energy Eg is in the range of 3.70-3.76 eV. The refractive index and thickness of ZnS:In thin films was calculated using envelope method. The variation of the refractive index along the Cauchy distribution was observed in all ZnS:In thin films. The analysis of the refractive index data through the Wemple-DiDomenico model leads to the single oscillator energy (E0) and the dispersion energy (Ed).

A single crystal of glycine-doped bis-thiourea zinc acetate (G-BTZA) with a dimension of 15 × 6 × 4 mm3 has been grown using the slow solution evaporation technique. The structural parameters of the crystals were determined using the single crystal XRD technique. The increase in optical transparency of the doped BTZA crystal was ascertained in the range of 200 to 900 nm using UV-visible spectral analysis. The improved optical band gap of the G-BTZA crystal is found to be 4.19 eV, and vital optical constants have been calculated using the transmittance data. The influence of glycine on the mechanical parameters of the BTZA crystal has been investigated via microhardness studies. The thermal stability of pure and doped BTZA crystals has been determined by employing the thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis technique. The improvement in the dielectric properties of the BTZA crystal after the addition of glycine has been evaluated in a temperature range of 30 to 120 °C at a frequency of 100 KHz. The SHG efficiency of the glycine-doped BTZA crystal is found to be much higher than KDP and BTZA crystal material in a Kurtz-Perry powder analysis.

Nonlinear optical material Bisthiourea Zinc Acetate (BTZA) was synthesized by slow evaporation solution growth technique. The grown crystals were characterised by Single crystal XRD and powder XRD studies. The presence of functional groups and the co-ordination of metal ions to Thiourea were confirmed by FTIR analysis. The UV-vis -NIR spectrum shows a low absorption in the entire visible and IR region. Optical band gap of the grown crystal was found to be 4.18 eV. The photoluminescence studies carried out and the crystal has blue emission. The Refractive Index was determined experimentally for the first time and found to be 1.508 for the incident wavelength of 632.8 nm. The second harmonic generation efficiency was determined using Kurtz and Perry powder technique and it was 0.7 times than that of the KDP crystal. Thermal properties were studied by thermo gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis. Dielectric studies were carried out at different frequencies for various temperatures. The mechanical behaviour of the grown crystal was studied using Vickers micro hardness tester. The growth mechanism and surface features are investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were fabricated by simultaneous RF/DC magnetron sputtering technique on sapphire (Al2O3) substrate with different DC sputtering power 2, 6, 8 and 10 W respectively. The sputtered thin films were annealed at 350 °C in order to improve the crystal quality. AZO thin films are systematically analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-VIS spectrometer for structural and optical properties. XRD patterns show that all sputtered thin films are well crystallized with hexagonal wurtzite structure. SEM images reveal the average crystallite sizes are increased after doping Al in ZnO which agreed with the calculated values from XRD. All thin films possess high optical transmittance in visible region and optical band gap values are relatively increased with Al concentration. The ultrafast transient absorption (TA) of AZO was analyzed by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. The kinetic TA curves were fitted by tri-exponential decay function and obtained decay time constants are found to be in few picosecond and nanosecond range for ultrafast and slow processes respectively. Third order nonlinear optical absorption and refraction coefficients were investigated by using Z-scan technique. The observed nonlinear coefficients are enhanced with Al concentration in ZnO.

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by R.F. sputtering using ZnO(98%)-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(2%) target in different sputtering gaseous environments, viz., Ar, Ar/O{sub 2} and Ar/N{sub 2}+H{sub 2} at 80 deg. C. These films have been studied with regard to phase, microstructure, optical absorption and sheet resistance for application in photovoltaic devices as transparent conducting electrodes. The properties of the films are shown to strongly depend on the sputtering gas(es). The films exhibit a wurtzite-type hexagonal structure with the (00.2) preferred orientation, the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. The intensity of 00.2 diffraction peak and the average crystallite size remain almost the same when the films are prepared under pure Ar or Ar/O{sub 2} environment. However the average crystallite size increases while electrical resistance decreases with introduction of nitrogen and hydrogen in comparison to oxygen in argon. Nevertheless, the optimum value of optical transmittance and sheet resistance of the films deposited in pure argon are found to be 85-96% in the wavelength range 400-800 nm and 65 {Omega}/{open_square}, respectively.

A soil column study was conducted to assess the movement of Zn in sewage-sludge-amended soils. Varables investigated were soil properties, irrigation water quality, and soil moisture level. Bulk samples of the surface layer of six soil series were packed into columns, 10.2 cm in diameter and 110 cm in length. An anaerobically digested municipal sewage sludge was incorporated into the top 20 cm of each column at a rate of 300 mg ha-1. The columns were maintained at moisture levels of saturation and unsaturation and were leached with two waters of different quality. At the termination of leaching, the columns were cut open and the soil was sectioned and analyzed. Zinc movement was evaluated by mass balance accounting and correlation and regression analysis. Zinc movement in the unsaturated columns ranged from 3 to 30 cm, with a mean of 10 cm. The difference in irrigation water quality did not have an effect on Zn movement. Most of the Zn applied to the unsaturated columns remained in the sludge-amended soil layer (96.1 to 99.6%, with a mean of 98.1%). The major portion of Zn leached from the sludge-amended soil layer accumulated in the 0- to 3-cm depth (35.7 to 100%, with a mean of 73.6%). The mean final soil pH values decreased in the order: saturated columns = sludge-amended soil layer > untreated soils > unsaturated columns. Total Zn leached from the sludge-amended soil layer was correlated negatively at P = 0.001 with final pH (r = -0.85). Depth of Zn movement was correlated negatively at P = 0.001 with final pH (r = -0.91). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the final pH accounted for 72% of the variation in the total amounts of Zn leached from the sludge-amended soil layer of the unsaturated columns and accounted for 82% of the variation in the depth of Zn movement among the unsaturated columns. A significant correlation was not found between Zn and organic carbon in soil solutions, but a negative correlation significant at P = 0.001 was found

The corrosion behavior of Zircaloy-2 in the presence of Zn was investigated. Zinc is a possible technological additive to be injected in the coolant to reduce the {sup 60}Co buildup. However, its influence on the cladding corrosion, alone or in combination with some typical corrosion impurities, as, for example, Cr, has not been considered so far. Because of this, the surface composition and electrochemical properties of Zircaloy specimens were investigated after their exposure to Zn{sup 2+}, CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, and CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} + Zn{sup 2+} aqueous solutions at 250degC. It was found that zinc-containing phases did not deposit from solutions containing on Zn{sup 2+} ions. Amorphous Cr{sup 3+}-oxide and ZnCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} ferrite phases were found on the surface of the samples after their exposure to CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} and CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} + Zn{sup 2+} environments, respectively. The amounts of the deposited Cr and Zn + Cr strongly depended on the times of the preconditioning of the Zircaloy specimens in high-temperature water. The rate of the oxide precipitation declined with increasing exposure time to both the CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} and CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} + Zn{sup 2+} solutions. The electrochemical measurement showed that the limiting factor of the Cr and Zn + Cr deposition reaction was the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The reduction completely depended on the resistance of ZrO{sub 2}, Cr, and Zn + Cr oxides, which increased with the time of preconditioning and exposure. A thermodynamic analysis based on oxide solubilities was applied to explain the different deposition pathways in the CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} and CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-} + Zn{sup 2+} environments. In view of the decreasing deposition rate of the Zn - Cr-oxide phases, it could be concluded that their limited precipitation and presence do not have a significant adverse effect on the fuel cladding corrosion.

ZnO nanowires (NWs) are emerging as key elements for new lasing, photovoltaic and sensing applications but elucidation of their fundamental electronic properties has been hampered by a dearth of characterization tools capable of probing single nanowires. Herein, ZnO NWs were synthesized in solution and integrated into a low energy photoelectron spectroscopy system, where quantitative optical measurements of the NW work function and Fermi level location within the band gap were collected. Next, the NWs were decorated with several dipolar self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and control over the electronic properties is demonstrated, yielding a completely tunable hybrid electronic material. Using this new metrology approach, a host of other extraordinary interfacial phenomena could be explored on nanowires such as spatial dopant profiling or heterostructures.

Summary A class of carboxyl and carboxylate ester-substituted dithiafulvene (DTF) derivatives and tetrathiafulvalene vinylogues (TTFVs) has been synthesized and their electronic and electrochemical redox properties were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopic and cyclic voltammetric analyses. The carboxyl-TTFV was applied as a redox-active ligand to complex with Zn(II) ions, forming a stable Zn-TTFV coordination polymer. The structural, electrochemical, and thermal properties of the coordination polymer were investigated by infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, powder X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetric analyses. Furthermore, the microscopic porosity and surface area of the Zn-TTFV coordination polymer were measured by nitrogen gas adsorption analysis, showing a BET surface of 148.2 m2 g−1 and an average pore diameter of 10.2 nm. PMID:26124898

In this communication, we report the results of the studies on structural properties and gas sensing behavior of nanostructured ZnO grown using acetone precursor based modified sol-gel technique. Final product of ZnO was sintered at different temperatures to vary the crystallite size while their structural properties have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement performed at room temperature. XRD results suggest the single phasic nature of all the samples and crystallite size increases from 11.53 to 20.96nm with increase in sintering temperature. Gas sensing behavior has been studied for acetone gas which indicates that lower sintered samples are more capable to sense the acetone gas and related mechanism has been discussed in the light of crystallite size, crystal boundary density, defect mechanism and possible chemical reaction between gas traces and various oxygen species.

In view of the established antidiabetic properties of zinc, the present study was aimed at evaluating the hypoglycemic properties of a new zinc-diosmin complex in high fat diet fed-low dose streptozotocin induced experimental type 2 diabetes in rats. Zinc-diosmin complex was synthesized and characterized by various spectral studies. The complexation between zinc ions and diosmin was further evidenced by pH-potentiometric titrations and Job's plot. Diabetic rats were orally treated with zinc-diosmin complex at a concentration of 20 mg/kg b.w./rat/day for 30 days. At the end of the experimental period, the rats were subjected to oral glucose tolerance test. In addition, HOMA-IR and various biochemical parameters related to glucose homeostasis were analyzed. Treatment with zinc-diosmin complex significantly improved the glucose homeostasis in diabetic rats. Treatment with zinc-diosmin complex significantly improved insulin sensitivity, at least in part, through enhancing protein metabolism and alteration in the levels of muscle and liver glycogen. The assay of clinical marker enzymes revealed the nontoxic nature of the complex. Determination of renal tissue markers such as blood urea and serum creatinine indicates the renoprotective nature of the complex. These findings suggest that zinc-diosmin complex is nontoxic and has complimentary potential to develop as an antihyperglycemic agent for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. PMID:26783461

The glasses with compositions 20ZnO·(79.5 - x)Bi2O3·xSiO2·0.5Sm2O3 (10 ⩽ x ⩽ 50, mol%) have been synthesized using normal melt-quench technique. Optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of the glasses were recorded at ambient temperature. Judd-Ofelt (J-O) theory has been successfully applied to characterize the absorption and luminescence spectra of these glasses. From the measured intensities of absorption bands of these glasses, the Judd-Ofelt parameters, Ωλ (λ = 2, 4, 6) have been evaluated. The variation of Ω2 with Bi2O3 content has been attributed to changes in the asymmetry of the ligand field at the rare earth (RE) ion site (due to structural change) and to changes in RE-O covalency, whereas the variation of Ω6 is found to be strongly dependent on nephlauxetic effect. The shift of the hypersensitive band shows that the covalency of the RE-O decreases with decrease in Bi2O3 content in the host glass. Also, using J-O theory various radiative properties like spontaneous emission probability (Arad), radiative life time (τr), fluorescence branching ratio (βr) and stimulated emission cross-section (σ) for various emission bands of these glasses in the visible spectral region have been determined. A close correlation is observed between the Bi2O3 content and the spectroscopic, radiative and structural properties of the prepared glasses. The values of radiative properties indicated that 4G5/2 → 6H7/2 and 4G5/2 → 6H9/2 transitions responsible for orange luminescence might be used in the development of materials for LED's and other optical devices in the visible region.

We present the structure and nonlinear absorption (NLA) properties of Cu-doped ZnO (CZO) films prepared by magnetron sputtering. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results show that the CZO films can maintain a wurtzite structure. Furthermore, the open-aperture (OA) Z-scan measurements of the film were carried out by nanosecond laser pulse. A transition from saturable absorption (SA) to reverse saturable absorption (RSA) was observed as the excitation intensity increasing. With good excellent nonlinear optical coefficient, the samples were expected to be the potential applications in optical devices.

(Bi1.5Zn0.5)(Zn0.5Nb1.5)O7 (BZN) pyrochlore thin films were deposited onto both Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si and polycrystalline alumina substrates using pulsed laser deposition technique and then post-annealed using rapid thermal processing. The deposition temperature varies from 300 °C to 600 °C, and all the BZN films showed cubic pyrochlore structure after annealing at 650 °C for 30 min in air. The influence of the substrate associated with crystal structure is significant in the as-deposited films and disappears after post-annealing. The dielectric properties as a function of frequency up to the microwave frequency in both films were measured by LCR meter and split-post dielectric resonator technique. It is found that the BZN film deposited at 400 °C and post-annealed at 650 °C shows excellent dielectric properties with low loss in the microwave frequency range. This result indicates that the BZN thin film is a potential microwave material.

Highlights: {yields} Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by sonochemical strategy. {yields} Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles present good photocatalytic properties. {yields} The change of band gap contributes to their high efficiency in photocatalyst. -- Abstract: Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by sonochemical method. The products were characterized by scan electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). SEM images revealed that ZnO doped with Mg(II) nanoparticles and ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by the same strategy all had spherical topography. XRD patterns showed that the doped nanoparticles had the same crystals structures as the pure ZnO nanoparticles. The Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles had larger lattice volume than the un-doped nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) not only demonstrated the moral ratio of Mg and Zn element on the surface of nanoparticles, but their valence in nanoparticles as well. The Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles presented good properties in photocatalyst compared with pure ZnO nanoparticles.

Nanostructured cadmium zinc sulphide films have been deposited onto cleaned glass substrates by chemical bath deposition method at room temperature using polyvinyl alcohol as capping agent. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of cubic-phase cadmium zinc sulphide films. Crystallite size obtained from the calculation of Scherrer's formula and Williamson-Hall plot as well as size-strain plot is found to decrease with the increase in zinc concentration. The films have very high dislocation density of the order of 1016 m-2, whereas the strain is of the order of 10-3. Scanning electron microscopic image reveals that the particles are agglomerated to form nanoclusters and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis confirms that films are composed of cadmium, zinc and sulphur. High-resolution transmission electron microscopic image reveals that the shape of the particles is nearly spherical, uniformly distributed. Selected-area electron diffraction pattern supports the formation of cubic phase of the film. Optical absorption peaks of the films shift towards lower wavelength side and their optical band gap increases with the increase in zinc concentration. The increase in zinc concentration enhances the photoluminescence emission intensity, whose emission is in the green region of visible spectrum.

The influence of glass composition on the fluorescence properties of Eu3+ ions doped borate and fluoroborate glasses modified with Li+, Zn2+ and Pb2+ cations have been investigated. The magnitude of splittings of 7F1 levels are analyzed using crystal-field (CF) analysis. The relative intensities of 5D0 --> 7F2 to 5D0 --> 7F1 transitions, crystal-field strength parameters and decay times of the 5D0 level have been determined and are found to be lower for Pb based glasses than those of Zn/Li based glasses. The lifetimes of 5D0 level are found to increase when borate glasses are modified with pure fluorides than with oxides and oxyfluorides. The fluorescence decay of 5D0 level fits perfect single exponential in the Eu3+:glass systems studied which indicates the absence of energy transfer between Eu3+ ions in these glasses.

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors, after a reader brought the following to their attention. Reason: The article substantially reproduces parts of articles published by the same authors in the Journal of Luminescence (“Effect of F- ions on physical and spectroscopic properties of Yb3+-doped TeO2 glasses”, Volume 113, Issues 1-2, Pages 27-32) and the Journal of Alloys and Compounds (“Fluorescence lifetime increase by introduction of F- ions in ytterbium-doped TeO2-based glasses”, Volume 393, Issues 1-2, Pages 279-282). There was also a failure to cite either of these articles. These other articles have also been retracted. This action has been agreed by the Editors of the three journals.

Preferred oriented ZnFe2O4 nanowire arrays with an average diameter of 16 nm were fabricated by post-annealing of ZnFe2 nanowires within anodic aluminum oxide templates in atmosphere. Selected area electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction exhibit that the nanowires are in cubic spinel-type structure with a [110] preferred crystallite orientation. Magnetic measurement indicates that the as-prepared ZnFe2O4 nanowire arrays reveal uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, and the easy magnetization direction is parallel to the axis of nanowire. The optical properties show the ZnFe2O4 nanowire arrays give out 370–520 nm blue-violet light, and their UV absorption edge is around 700 nm. The estimated values of direct and indirect band gaps for the nanowires are 2.23 and 1.73 eV, respectively. PMID:20676211

In this article, novel antibacterial PVC-based films coated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated, characterized, and studied for their antibacterial properties. It was shown that the ZnO NPs were coated on the surface of the PVC films uniformly and that the coating process did not affect the size and shape of the NPs on the surface of PVC films. Films coated with concentrations of either 0.2 or 0.075 g/L of ZnO NPs exhibited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative ( Escherichia coli) bacteria, but exhibited no antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium citrinum. Smaller particles (100 nm) exhibited more potent antibacterial activity than larger particles (1000 nm). All ZnO-coated films maintained antibacterial activity after 30 days in water.

Structural and electronic properties of Zn-doped cubic boron nitride (cBN) were investigated via first principle calculation based on density functional theory. Our simulation suggests that Zn can substitute for both B (Zn{sub B}) and N (Zn{sub N}) atom; Zn{sub B} is energetically favorable, and Zn{sub N} can only be prepared under B-rich conditions. Zn{sub B} induced a shallow acceptor level; however, the large difference in electronegativity between Zn and N makes the acceptor level strongly localized, which reduces effective carrier density. In the case of Zn{sub N}, both deep acceptor levels within band gap and shallow acceptor levels at the top of valence band were induced, which produced more free carriers than Zn{sub B}. The calculated results account for experimental results of enhanced electric conductivity of Zn-doped cBN films prepared under B-rich conditions.

We have synthesized and studied the boron doped ZnO nanostructure thin films. The crystallinity of undoped and boron (B) doped ZnO (BZO) has been studied from XRD results. Using the Debye-Scherrer Formula, the grain size has been evaluated, which was found to decrease with increased doping concentration. The optical and electrical properties of (1, 3, 5 wt%) B-doped ZnO (BZO) has been investigated with reference to the undoped counterpart. The UV-VIS spectroscopic analysis revealed that the transmittance for undoped ZnO is maximum and it decreases with doping up to 3% but increases for 5% BZO. The dark as well as photo current–voltage (I–V) characteristics have been investigated in details and the changes occurred in the I-V characteristics with doping concentration as well as under illumination are also quite significant.

ZnSnN2 is an Earth-abundant semiconductor analogous to the III–nitrides with potential as a solar absorber due to its direct bandgap, steep absorption onset, and disorder-driven bandgap tunability. Despite these desirable properties, discrepancies in the fundamental bandgap and degenerate n-type carrier density have been prevalent issues in the limited amount of literature available on this material. We we use a combinatorial RF co-sputtering approach, we explored a growth-temperature-composition space for Zn1+xSn1-xN2 over the ranges 35–340 °C and 0.30–0.75 Zn/(Zn + Sn). In this way, we identified an optimal set of deposition parameters for obtaining as-deposited films with wurtzite crystal structure and carrier density as low as 1.8 × 1018 cm-3. Films grown at 230 °C with Zn/(Zn + Sn) = 0.60 were found to have the largest grain size overall (70 nm diameter on average) while also exhibiting low carrier density (3 × 1018 cm-3) and high mobility (8.3 cm2 V-1 s-1). Using this approach, we establish the direct bandgap of cation-disordered ZnSnN2 at 1.0 eV. Moreover, we report tunable carrier density as a function of cation composition, in which lower carrier density is observed for higher Zn content. Consequently, this relationship manifests as a Burstein–Moss shift widening the apparent bandgap as cation composition moves away from Zn-rich. Collectively, these findings provide important insight into the fundamental properties of the Zn–Sn–N material system and highlight the potential to utilize ZnSnN2 for photovoltaics.

Ferrofluids are colloidal systems composed of a single domain of magnetic nanoparticles with a mean diameter around 10 nm, dispersed in a liquid carrier. Magnetic Co(1-x)ZnxFe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles were prepared via co-precipitation method from aqueous salt solutions in an alkaline medium. The composition and structure of the samples were characterized through EDX and XRD, respectively. Transmission Electron Microscopy studies permitted determining nanoparticle size. Grain size of nanoparticle conglomerates was established via Atomic Force Microscopy. The magnetic behavior of ferrofluids was characterized by Vibrating Sample Magnetometer; and finally, a Magnetic Force Microscope was used to visualize the magnetic domains of nanoparticles. The mean size of the crystallite of nanoparticles determined by using the Scherrer approximation diminished when the Zn concentration increases. The size of the nanoparticles obtained by TEM is in good agreement with the crystallite size calculated from XRD measures. The magnetic properties investigated at room temperature presented super-paramagnetic behavior, determined by the shape of the hysteresis loop. Finally, our magnetic nanoparticles are considered a soft magnetic material.

In this work the influence of stripping/cooling atmospheres used after withdrawal of steel sheet from Zn or Zn-alloy melt on surface properties of Zn (Z) and Zn-Al-Mg (ZM) hot-dip galvanizing coatings has been studied. The aim was to understand how the atmosphere (composed by nitrogen (N2) or air) affects adhesion strength to model adhesive and corrosive behaviour of the galvanized substrates. It was shown that the surface chemical composition and Volta potential of the galvanizing coatings prepared under the air or nitrogen atmosphere are strongly influenced by the atmosphere. The surface chemistry Z and ZM surfaces prepared under N2 contained a higher content of metal atoms and a richer hydroxide density than the specimens prepared under air atmosphere as assessed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The induced differences on the microstructure of the galvanized coatings played a key role on the local corrosion induced defects as observed by means of in situ Atomic force microscopy (AFM). Peel force tests performed on the substrates coated by model adhesive films indicate a higher adhesive strength to the surfaces prepared under nitrogen atmosphere. The obtained results have been discussed in terms of the microstructure and surface chemical composition of the galvanizing coatings.

Nanosized Cr-doped ZnO nano particles were synthesized by facile sol-gel auto combustion method. The structural and optical properties of Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles have been investigated by XRD and UV-Vis spectroscopy at room temperature for 0% to 8% concentration. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the Cr-doped ZnO crystallizes in a single phase polycrystalline nature with wurtzite lattice. With every % of doping, the peaks are shifting scarcely and doping of Cr is possible up to 7%. After that, the last peak vanishes, that signifies its structure is transmuted from 8% doping. The average crystallite size decreases with increase in Cr concentration (i.e. 28.9 nm for 0% to 25.8 nm for 8%). The UV-Vis spectra of the nanoparticles betoken an incrementation in the band gap energy from 3.401, 3.415, 3.431, 3.437,3.453, 3.514,3.521, 3.530 and 3.538 eV respectively, for 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 % doping concentration.

The effect of substitution of fluoride ions for oxide ions on the physical and optical properties of glass system (20-x) ZnO-xZnF2-40As2O3-40TeO2 where x = 0, 4, 8,12,16,20 mole % were investigated. The samples prepared by melt quenching method under controlled condition. The amorphous nature of these glasses was checked by X-ray diffraction technique. The density was measured according to Archimedes principle. The room temperature absorption spectra of all glass samples were determined using UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer. The thermal behaviour, glass transition temperature and stability of glass samples were studied by a differential scanning calorimetric (DSC). The density reduction of present glasses with ZnF2 concentrations may be due to the low density of ZnF2 compared with that of ZnO. Breaking the oxide network, the cross linking degree of the glass former could be reduced which results in decrease of both Tg and Tx. In the present glass system when F ions replaced by oxygen ions UV-Vis absorption cut-off wavelength decreases. This resulted form the conversion of structural unit in the glass from TeO4 to Te(O,F)4 and then to Te(O, F)3.

Cobalt and Lanthanum-doped ZnO QDs are synthesized by a modified sol-gel method under atmospheric conditions. The as-prepared quantum dots are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The optical properties of the products are studied by fluorescent spectroscopy. With a proper Co and La doping, these nanoparticles possess exceptionally small size and enhanced fluorescence. Hysteresis loops of un-doped ZnO QDs and Co and La-doped ZnO QDs indicate that both the samples show ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. Finally, these nanoparticles can label the BGC 803 cells successfully in short time and present no evidence of toxicity or adverse affect on cell growth even at the concentration up to 1 mM. We expect that the as-prepared Co and La-doped ZnO QDs can provide a better reliability of the collected data and find promising applications in biological, medical and other fields.

It is studied how the introduction of various substituents into the composition of organic ligands affects the photoluminescence spectra of new zinc(II) complexes with tetradentate Schiff bases H2L (derivatives of salicylic aldehyde (H2SAL1, H2SAL2) and o-vanillin (H2MO1, H2MO2) with ethylenediamine and o-phenylenediamine) in the form of bulk solids and thin films. It is demonstrated that the emission spectra of bulk solid complexes without o-phenylenediamine bridges (ZnSAL1 and ZnMO1) contain additional long-wavelength bands compared to the spectra of corresponding thin films. In the case of films obtained from [ZnSAL1]2 dimer complexes, the long-wavelength band is dominant. At the same time, the photoluminescence spectra of ZnSAL2 and ZnMO2 complexes with o-phenylenediamine bridges are similar in the case of solid samples and thin films. The electroluminescent properties of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with the ITO/α-NPD/ZnL/Ca:Al structure are studied. The bathochromic shift of the electroluminescence peaks of OLEDs with respect to the photoluminescence spectra of bulk solid samples and thin films is probably related to the formation of exciplexes at the α-NPD/ZnL interface. The electroluminescence spectra of OLEDs based on [ZnSAL1]2 show a hypsochromic shift of the emission maximum, which can be caused by a shift of the recombination region into the α-NPD layer.

We report on microscopic structures and electrical and optical properties of sputter-deposited amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) films. From electron microscopy observations and an x-ray small angle scattering analysis, it has been confirmed that the sputtered a-IGZO films consist of a columnar structure. However, krypton gas adsorption measurement revealed that boundaries of the columnar grains are not open-pores. The conductivity of the sputter-deposited a-IGZO films shows a change as large as seven orders of magnitude depending on post-annealing atmosphere; it is increased by N2-annealing and decreased by O2-annealing reversibly, at a temperature as low as 300°C. This large variation in conductivity is attributed to thermionic emission of carrier electrons through potential barriers at the grain boundaries, because temperature dependences of the carrier density and the Hall mobility exhibit thermal activation behaviours. The optical band-gap energy of the a-IGZO films changes between before and after annealing, but is independent of the annealing atmosphere, in contrast to the noticeable dependence of conductivity described above. For exploring other possibilities of a-IGZO, we formed multilayer films with an artificial periodic lattice structure consisting of amorphous InO, GaO, and ZnO layers, as an imitation of the layer-structured InGaZnO4 homologous phase. The hall mobility of the multilayer films was almost constant for thicknesses of the constituent layer between 1 and 6 Å, suggesting rather small contribution of lateral two-dimensional conduction It increased with increasing the thickness in the range from 6 to 15 Å, perhaps owing to an enhancement of two-dimensional conduction in InO layers.

Ferrofluids are colloidal systems composed of a single domain of magnetic nanoparticles with a mean diameter around 30 nm, dispersed in a liquid carrier. Magnetic Co(1-x)ZnxFe2O4 (x=0.25, 0.50, 0.75) ferrite nanoparticles were prepared via co-precipitation method from aqueous salt solutions in an alkaline medium. The composition and structure of the samples were characterized through Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies permitted determining nanoparticle size; grain size of nanoparticle conglomerates was established via Atomic Force Microscopy. The magnetic behavior of ferrofluids was characterized by Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM); and finally, a magnetic force microscope was used to visualize the magnetic domains of Co(1-x)ZnxFe2O4 nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction patterns of Co(1-x)ZnxFe2O4 show the presence of the most intense peak corresponding to the (311) crystallographic orientation of the spinel phase of CoFe2O4. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the bonds associated to the spinel structures; particularly for ferrites. The mean size of the crystallite of nanoparticles determined from the full-width at half maximum of the strongest reflection of the (311) peak by using the Scherrer approximation diminished from (9.5±0.3) nm to (5.4±0.2) nm when the Zn concentration increases from 0.21 to 0.75. The size of the Co-Zn ferrite nanoparticles obtained by TEM is in good agreement with the crystallite size calculated from X-ray diffraction patterns, using Scherer's formula. The magnetic properties investigated with the aid of a VSM at room temperature presented super-paramagnetic behavior, determined by the shape of the hysteresis loop. In this study, we established that the coercive field of Co(1-x)ZnxFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles, the crystal and nanoparticle sizes determined by X-ray Diffraction and TEM, respectively, decrease with the

In this paper, the effects of annealing conditions on the dielectric properties of solution-processed aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layers for indium-zinc-tin-oxide (IZTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been investigated. The dielectric properties of Al2O3 layers such as leakage current density and dielectric strength were largely affected by their annealing conditions. In particular, oxygen partial pressure in rapid thermal annealing, and the temperature profile of hot plate annealing had profound effects on the dielectric properties. From a refractive index analysis, the enhanced dielectric properties of Al2O3 gate dielectrics can be attributed to higher film density depending on the annealing conditions. With the low-temperature-annealed Al2O3 gate dielectric at 350 degrees C, solution-processed IZTO TFTs with a field-effect mobility of approximately 2.2 cm2/Vs were successfully fabricated.

Since its first discovery in an Iranian male in 1961, zinc deficiency in humans is now known to be an important malnutrition problem world-wide. It is more prevalent in areas of high cereal and low animal food consumption. The diet may not necessarily be low in zinc, but its bio-availability plays a major role in its absorption. Phytic acid is the main known inhibitor of zinc. Compared to adults, infants, children, adolescents, pregnant, and lactating women have increased requirements for zinc and thus, are at increased risk of zincdepletion. Zinc deficiency during growth periods results in growth failure. Epidermal, gastrointestinal, central nervous, immune, skeletal, and reproductive systems are the organs most affected clinically by zinc deficiency. Clinical diagnosis of marginal Zn deficiency in humans remains problematic. So far, blood plasma/serum zinc concentration, dietary intake, and stunting prevalence are the best known indicators of zinc deficiency. Four main intervention strategies for combating zinc deficiency include dietary modification/diversification, supplementation, fortification, and bio-fortification. The choice of each method depends on the availability of resources, technical feasibility, target group, and social acceptance. In this paper, we provide a review on zinc biochemical and physiological functions, metabolism including, absorption, excretion, and homeostasis, zinc bio-availability (inhibitors and enhancers), human requirement, groups at high-risk, consequences and causes of zinc deficiency, evaluation of zinc status, and prevention strategies of zinc deficiency. PMID:23914218

Azo-containing schiff bases are well known and there are many studies about their various properties in literature. However, phthalocyanines bearing azo-containing schiff bases, their spectral, analytical and biological properties are unknown. Therefore, new zinc (II) phthalocyanines bearing azo-containing schiff base were synthesized and investigated to determine pKa values, absorption, emission, enzyme inhibition and photochemical properties. Emission spectra were reported and large Stokes shift values were determined for all compounds, indicating that all molecules exhibit excited state intramolecular proton transfer. These phthalocyanines were the first examples of phthalocyanine showing excited state intramolecular proton transfer. Singlet oxygen quantum yields of zinc (II) phthalocyanines were determined. pKa values and indicator properties of all compounds were investigated by potentiometry. All compounds were assayed for inhibitory activity against bovine milk xanthine oxidase and acetylcholinesterase enzyme in vitro. Compound 2 showed the high inhibitory effect against xanthine oxidase (IC50 = 0.24 ± 0.01 μM). However, phthalocyanine compounds did not show enzyme inhibitor behavior.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited on silicon and glass substrate were prepared using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method utilizing zinc acetate dihydrate as the zinc sources. The deposited film then annealed at 300° C to 500° C for 1 hour. The optical and structural properties of ZnO thin films were characterized using photoluminescence (PL) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) respectively. SEM images show that the ZnO thin film on silicon substrate formed unique morphology of flower-like and ball-shaped structures at annealing temperature 300° C and 400° C. Increasing annealing temperature to 450° C for ZnO deposited on glass substrate had increased the grain size of particle which implies the improvement of crystalline grain of thin film. PL results observed that the defect of oxygen vacancy decreased after annealing process for films deposited on silicon substrate. The blue peak emission at 437 nm appears only on the glass substrate. Based on the highest PL intensity value, the optimum annealing temperature for silicon and glass substrate is 350° C and 450° C respectively.

Irrigated agriculture is the human activity that has by far the largest impact on water, constituting 85% of global water consumption and 67% of global water withdrawals. Much of this water use occurs in places where water depletion, the ratio of water consumption to water availability, exceeds 75% for at least one month of the year. Although only 17% of global watershed area experiences depletion at this level or more, nearly 30% of total cropland and 60% of irrigated cropland are found in these depleted watersheds. Staple crops are particularly at risk, with 75% of global irrigated wheat production and 65% of irrigated maize production found in watersheds that are at least seasonally depleted. Of importance to textile production, 75% of cotton production occurs in the same watersheds. For crop production in depleted watersheds, we find that one half to two-thirds of production occurs in watersheds that have not just seasonal but annual water shortages, suggesting that re-distributing water supply over the course of the year cannot be an effective solution to shortage. We explore the degree to which irrigated production in depleted watersheds reflects limitations in supply, a byproduct of the need for irrigation in perennially or seasonally dry landscapes, and identify heavy irrigation consumption that leads to watershed depletion in more humid climates. For watersheds that are not depleted, we evaluate the potential impact of an increase in irrigated production. Finally, we evaluate the benefits of irrigated agriculture in depleted and non-depleted watersheds, quantifying the fraction of irrigated production going to food production, animal feed, and biofuels.

Zinc bismuth vanadate glasses with compositions 50V2O5-xBi2O3-(50-x) ZnO have been prepared using a conventional melt-quenching method and the solubility limit of Bi2O3 in zinc vanadate glass system has been investigated using x-ray diffraction. Density has been measured using Archimedes' principle; molar volume (Vm) and crystalline volumes (Vc) have also been estimated. With an increase in Bi2O3 content, there is an increase in density and molar volume of the glass samples. The glass transition temperature (Tg) and Hurby coefficient (Kgl) have been determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and are observed to increase with increase in Bi2O3 content (i.e., x), up to x = 15, thereby indicating the structural modifications and increased thermal stability of zinc vanadate glasses on addition of Bi2O3. FTIR spectra have been recorded and the analysis of FTIR shows that the structure depends upon the Bi2O3 content in the glass compositions. On addition of Bi2O3 into the zinc vanadate system, the structure of V2O5 changes from VO4 tetrahedral to VO5 trigonal bi-pyramid configuration. The optical parameters have been calculated by using spectroscopic ellipsometry for bulk oxide glasses (perhaps used first time for bulk glasses) and optical bandgap energy is found to increase with increase in Bi2O3 content.

Saccharide-substituted zinc phthalocyanines, [2,9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis((1-(β-D-glucose-2-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phthalocyaninato]zinc(II) and [2,9(10), 16(17),23(24)-tetrakis((1-(β-D-lactose-2-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phthalocyaninato] zinc(II), were evaluated as novel near infrared fluorescence agents. Their interaction with bovine serum albumin was investigated by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. Near infrared imaging for sentinel lymph nodes in vivo was performed using nude mice as models. Results show that saccharide- substituted zinc phthalocyanines have favourable water solubility, good optical stability and high emission ability in the near infrared region. The interaction of lactose-substituted phthalocyanine with bovine serum albumin displays obvious differences to that of glucose- substituted phthalocyanine. Moreover, lactose-substituted phthalocyanine possesses obvious imaging effects for sentinel lymph nodes in vivo.

Improved electrical conductivity of aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films deposited by chemical spray pyrolysis method at various substrate temperatures is reported. Detailed investigation on the structural, electrical and optical properties were carried out using XRD, four point probe and UV-Vis-NIR measurements. The films deposited at 450 °C shows better conductivity and transparency as compared to the films grown at lower temperatures. Electrical conductivity, determined using four point probe measurements, is 6.271 × 102 μcm with an average transmittance of 70 % in the visible and IR region.

The effect of sodium as a co-dopant on the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of copper-doped zinc lithium borate (ZLB: Cu) subjected to Co-60 gamma radiation is reported in this study. TL intensity is enhanced with the introduction of sodium in ZLB: Cu. The obtained glow curve is simple with a single peak. The annealing procedure and the best heating rate for the proposed thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) are established, and the phosphor is reusable. The TL response within the dose range of 0.5-1000Gy is investigated. The results show that the thermal fading behaviour is improved significantly.

The immunomodulatory effects of melatonin and zinc during chronic experimental Chagas' disease were studied. Early and late apoptosis by Annexin V-propidium iodide staining were evaluated. The expression of CD28, CD80, CD86, CD45RA and CD4(+)T and CD8(+)T cells were also evaluated by flow cytometry analysis. The combination of zinc and melatonin notably reduced the apoptotic ratios of splenic cells in the infected and treated animals when compared to untreated rats, during early and late stages of apoptosis. The percentages of CD8(+)T cells in Zn, Mel or Zn and Mel treated rats were reduced when compared to infected and untreated animals. Higher percentages of CD28 expression in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell populations were observed in control and infected Zn-treated group as compared to untreated ones. Zn, Mel or the combination of both did not induce any statistically significant differences for B cells when comparing to treated control and infected groups. Zinc or Mel-treated animals presented a lower expression of CD86 when compared to untreated counterparts. According to our data, this work strongly suggest that the modulation of the immune system operated by zinc and melatonin administration affected the balance among T cell immune response, apoptosis and expression of co-stimulatory molecules during chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection, inducing important changes in the host's immune response against the parasite. Future experiments in this field should be focused in improving our understanding of the key mechanisms underlying the involvement of melatonin and zinc in the immune response during chronic Chagas' disease.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a much higher incidence among caucasians that in any other race. Furthermore: females are much more susceptible than males and white females living in colder, wetter areas are much more susceptible than those living in warmer areas. On the other hand, menstruating women have increased copper (Cu) absorption and half-life, so they tend to accumulate more Cu than males. Moreover, rapidly growing girls have an increased demand for zinc (Zn), but their rapidly decreasing production of melatonin results in impaired Zn absorption, which is exacerbated by the high Cu levels. The low Zn levels result in deficient CuZnSuperoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), which in turn leads to increased levels of superoxide. Menstruating females also often present with low magnesium (Mg) and vitamin B6 levels. Vitamin B6 moderates intracellular nitric oxide (NO) production and extracellular Mg is required for NO release from the cell, so that a deficiency of these nutrients results in increased NO production in the cell and reduced release from the cell. The trapped NO combines with superoxide to form peroxinitrite, an extremely powerful free radical that leads to the myelin damage of MS. Iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo) and cadmium (Cd) accumulation also increase superoxide production. Which explains MS in males, who tend to accumulate Fe much faster and Cu much less rapidly than females. Since vitamin D is paramount for Mg absorption, the much reduced exposure to sunlight in the higher latitudes may account for the higher incidence in these areas. Moreover, vitamin B2 is a cofactor for xanthine oxidase, and its deficiency exacerbates the low levels of uric acid caused by high Cu levels, resulting in myelin degeneration. Finally Selenium (Se) and vitamin E prevent lipid peroxidation and EPA and DHA upregulate CuZnSOD. Therefore, supplementation with 100 mg MG, 25 mg vit B6, 10 mg vit B2, 15 mg Zn and 400 IU vit D and E, 100 microg Se, 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA per day

The depletion of lithium during the pre-main-sequence and main-sequence phases of stellar evolution plays a crucial role in the comparison of the predictions of big bang nucleosynthesis with the abundances observed in halo stars. Previous work has indicated a wide range of possible depletion factors, ranging from minimal in standard (nonrotating) stellar models to as much as an order of magnitude in models that include rotational mixing. Recent progress in the study of the angular momentum evolution of low-mass stars permits the construction of theoretical models capable of reproducing the angular momentum evolution of low-mass open cluster stars. The distribution of initial angular momenta can be inferred from stellar rotation data in young open clusters. In this paper we report on the application of these models to the study of lithium depletion in main-sequence halo stars. A range of initial angular momenta produces a range of lithium depletion factors on the main sequence. Using the distribution of initial conditions inferred from young open clusters leads to a well-defined halo lithium plateau with modest scatter and a small population of outliers. The mass-dependent angular momentum loss law inferred from open cluster studies produces a nearly flat plateau, unlike previous models that exhibited a downward curvature for hotter temperatures in the 7Li-Teff plane. The overall depletion factor for the plateau stars is sensitive primarily to the solar initial angular momentum used in the calibration for the mixing diffusion coefficients. Uncertainties remain in the treatment of the internal angular momentum transport in the models, and the potential impact of these uncertainties on our results is discussed. The 6Li/7Li depletion ratio is also examined. We find that the dispersion in the plateau and the 6Li/7Li depletion ratio scale with the absolute 7Li depletion in the plateau, and we use observational data to set bounds on the 7Li depletion in main-sequence halo

This report covers the development of Hot Chamber Die Castable Zinc Alloys with High Creep Strengths. This project commenced in 2000, with the primary objective of developing a hot chamber zinc die-casting alloy, capable of satisfactory service at 140 C. The core objectives of the development program were to: (1) fill in missing alloy data areas and develop a more complete empirical model of the influence of alloy composition on creep strength and other selected properties, and (2) based on the results from this model, examine promising alloy composition areas, for further development and for meeting the property combination targets, with the view to designing an optimized alloy composition. The target properties identified by ILZRO for an improved creep resistant zinc die-casting alloy were identified as follows: (1) temperature capability of 1470 C; (2) creep stress of 31 MPa (4500 psi); (3) exposure time of 1000 hours; and (4) maximum creep elongation under these conditions of 1%. The project was broadly divided into three tasks: (1) Task 1--General and Modeling, covering Experimental design of a first batch of alloys, alloy preparation and characterization. (2) Task 2--Refinement and Optimization, covering Experimental design of a second batch of alloys. (3) Task 3--Creep Testing and Technology transfer, covering the finalization of testing and the transfer of technology to the Zinc industry should have at least one improved alloy result from this work.

A cmos inverter is used to compare pacemaker battery voltage to a referenced voltage. When the reference voltage exceeds the measured battery voltage, the inverter changes state to indicate battery depletion.

Access information on EPA's efforts to address ozone layer depletion through regulations, collaborations with stakeholders, international treaties, partnerships with the private sector, and enforcement actions under Title VI of the Clean Air Act.

This technical brief provides accepted data and references to additional sources for radiological and chemical characteristics, health risks and references for both the monitoring and measurement, and applicable treatment techniques for depleted uranium.

Zinc absorption was measured in 29 patients with inflammatory bowel disease and a wide spectrum of disease activity to determine its relationship to disease activity, general nutritional state, and zinc status. Patients with severe disease requiring either supplementary oral or parenteral nutrition were excluded. The mean 65ZnCl2 absorption, in the patients, determined using a 65Zn and 51Cr stool-counting test, 45 +/- 17% (SD), was significantly lower than the values, 54 +/- 16%, in 30 healthy controls, P less than 0.05. Low 65ZnCl2 absorption was related to undernutrition, but not to disease activity in the absence of undernutrition or to zinc status estimated by leukocyte zinc measurements. Mean plasma zinc or leukocyte zinc concentrations in patients did not differ significantly from controls, and only two patients with moderate disease had leukocyte zinc values below the 5th percentile of normal. In another group of nine patients with inflammatory bowel disease of mild-to-moderate severity and minimal nutritional impairment, 65Zn absorption from an extrinsically labeled turkey test meal was 31 +/- 10% compared to 33 +/- 7% in 17 healthy controls, P greater than 0.1. Thus, impairment in 65ZnCl2 absorption in the patients selected for this study was only evident in undernourished persons with moderate or severe disease activity, but biochemical evidence of zinc deficiency was uncommon, and clinical features of zincdepletion were not encountered.

In this study, we examine the bismuth doping effect on the structural, magnetic and microstructural properties of zinc-ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2-xBixO4 with x=0.0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.1, 0.15) which have been prepared by a microwave combustion method. The structural, morphological and electromagnetic properties and also Curie temperature of the samples were examined by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and LCR meter, respectively. In order to measure the energy band gap, the FTIR spectra of the samples were also considered. The XRD patterns of the samples revealed that all of them are ZnFe2O4 structure and no additional peak was observed in their patterns. This implied that the samples were single-phase up to bismuth solubility of 0.15 in Zinc-Ferrite. The results of XRD patterns also showed that the value lattice parameter increases with increasing the bismuth doping. The FESEM results revealed an ascending trend in the size of the nanoparticles. Also considering the VSM results characterized that an increasing the bismuth doping leads to lower the saturation magnetization. The Curie temperatures of the samples were reduced as a result of increasing the amount of bismuth.

Pseudopotentials and plane-wave basis set method is used to investigate the electronic structure and magnetic properties for state-of-the-art zinc-blende and rocksalt M N ( M=K, Na) alloys. We find that these compounds exhibit half-metallic characters with an integer magnetic moment of 2.00μB. The half-metallic properties result from a fully spin-polarization of s and p states. The origin of energy gap mainly comes from the hybridization both s and p states. Total energies calculations indicate the rocksalt phase is lower in energy than the zinc-blende one. The difference of total energy are about 0.035 Ry per formula unit for KN and NaN, respectively. For these compounds, Slater-Pauling curve Mt=(Zt-4) (in μB unit) is obeyed between valence electrons and total magnetic moment. Meanwhile, we also find the preservation of half metallic characters when the lattice parameter is moderate compressed.

Aluminum-free glass polyalkenoate cements (GPC) have been hindered for use as injectable bone cements by their inability to balance handling characteristics with mechanical integrity. Currently, zinc-based, aluminum-free GPCs demonstrate compression strengths in excess of 60MPa, but set in c. 1-2 min. Previous efforts to extend the setting reaction have remained clinically insufficient and are typically accompanied by a significant drop in strength. This work synthesized novel glasses based on a zinc silicate composition with the inclusion of GeO2, ZrO2, and Na2O, and evaluated the setting reaction and mechanical properties of the resultant GPCs. Germanium based GPCs were found to have working times between 5 and 10 min, setting times between 14 and 36 min, and compression strengths in excess of 30 MPa for the first 30 days. The results of this investigation have shown that the inclusion of GeO2, ZrO2, and Na2O into the glass network have produced, for the first time, an aluminum-free GPC that is clinically viable as injectable bone cements with regards to handling characteristics and mechanical properties.

Strontium-zinc-oxide (SrZnO) films forming the semiconductor layers of thin-film transistors (TFTs) are deposited by using ion-assisted electron beam evaporation. Using strontium-oxide-doped semiconductors, the off-state current can be dramatically reduced by three orders of magnitude. This dramatic improvement is attributed to the incorporation of strontium, which suppresses carrier generation, thereby improving the TFT. Additionally, the presence of strontium inhibits the formation of zinc oxide (ZnO) with the hexagonal wurtzite phase and permits the formation of an unusual phase of ZnO, thus significantly changing the surface morphology of ZnO and effectively reducing the trap density of the channel. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 6140031454) and the Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications.

This work presents the synthesis and characterization of metal-free, zinc(II), and indium(III)acetate phthalocyanines substituted with 2,3,6-trimethylphenoxy groups at the peripheral and non-peripheral positions. The photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical (singlet oxygen generation and photodegradation under light irradiation) properties of these novel phthalocyanines and unsubstituted zinc(II) and indium(III)acetate phthalocyanines were investigated in dimethylformamide solution. The effects of the types of substituents and their positions and the variety of central metal ions on the phthalocyanine core on their spectroscopic, photophysical and photochemical properties were also determined. The studied 2,3,6-trimethylphenoxy substituted metal-free, zinc(II) and indium(III)acetate phthalocyanines especially indium(III)acetate derivatives exhibited appropriate photophysical and photochemical properties such as high singlet oxygen generation and these phthalocyanines can be potential Type II photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy in cancer applications.

Morphological and optical characteristics of radio frequency-sputtered zinc aluminum oxide over porous silicon (PS) substrates were studied before and after irradiating composite films with 130 MeV of nickel ions at different fluences varying from 1 × 1012 to 3 × 1013 ions/cm2. The effect of irradiation on the composite structure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Current–voltage characteristics of ZnO-PS heterojunctions were also measured. As compared to the granular crystallites of zinc oxide layer, Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) layer showed a flaky structure. The PL spectrum of the pristine composite structure consists of the emission from the ZnO layer as well as the near-infrared emission from the PS substrate. Due to an increase in the number of deep-level defects, possibly oxygen vacancies after swift ion irradiation, PS-Al-doped ZnO nanocomposites formed with high-porosity PS are shown to demonstrate a broadening in the PL emission band, leading to the white light emission. The broadening effect is found to increase with an increase in the ion fluence and porosity. XRD study revealed the relative resistance of the film against the irradiation, i.e., the irradiation of the structure failed to completely amorphize the structure, suggesting its possible application in optoelectronics and sensing applications under harsh radiation conditions. PMID:22748164

Chloride is an essential cofactor in the oxygen-evolution reaction that takes place in photosystem II (PSII). The oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) is oxidized in a linear four-step photocatalytic cycle in which chloride is required for the OEC to advance beyond the S2 state. Here, using density functional theory, we compare the energetics and spin configuration of two different states of the Mn4CaO5 cluster in the S2 state: state A with Mn1(3+) and B with Mn4(3+) with and without chloride. The calculations suggest that model B with an S = 5/2 ground state occurs in the chloride-depleted PSII, which may explain the presence of the EPR signal at g = 4.1. Moreover, we use multiconformer continuum electrostatics to study the effect of chloride depletion on the redox potential associated with the S1/S2 and S2/S3 transitions.

Ab initio calculations within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local density approximation (LDA) have been performed to study the structural, electronic and elastic properties of ZnxCd1-xO (0 ≤ x < 0.05) dilute alloys. Small amounts of zinc have been used to examine the effect of ternary element concentration on the electronic and elastic properties of the rock-salt ZnxCd1-xO alloys. Our calculated lattice parameters at equilibrium volume and bulk modulus are in good agreement with experimental data and other theoretical results reported in the literature. Furthermore, bulk modulus (B), shear modulus (G), Young’s modulus (E) and Poisson’s ratio (v) as well as stiffness component have been deduced from calculated elastic constants (Cij). Meanwhile, the sound velocity and Debye temperature (θD) are also predicted.

Bulk single crystals of tris-glycine zinc chloride (TGZC) have been grown from aqueous solutions at three different pH values. The influence of pH on the morphology, structure, optical and mechanical properties has been investigated. The single crystal X-ray diffraction was used to analyze the influence on the lattice parameters of the grown crystals. The growth morphology obtained at three pH values was analyzed to infer about the growth rate of the different crystallography habit faces. The optical quality was assessed by recording UV-vis transmission spectrum, birefringence interferometry and laser damage threshold studies. The hardness of the grown crystals was compared by Vickers hardness measurements. It is found that TGZC crystals grown at pH 3 results in better optical and mechanical properties.

The novel phthalonitrile containing azine segment and its corresponding tetra aldazine substituted metal free- and metallo-phthalocyanines (Zn(II) and Ni(II)) were synthesized and characterized by IR, (1)H NMR, Mass, UV-Vis spectroscopy and elemental analysis and addition to these techniques for substituted phthalonitrile (13)C NMR have been used. In addition, dc and ac electrical properties of the films of these novel phthalocyanines were investigated as a function of temperature (295-523 K) and frequency (40-10(5)Hz). Activation energy values of the films of the phthalocyanines were calculated from straight portions of the Arrhenius plot (lnσ(dc)-1/T curves) as 0.70 eV, 0.93 eV and 0.91 eV for the films of metal free, nickel- and zinc-phthalocyanines, respectively. From impedance spectroscopy measurements, it is observed that bulk resistance decreases with increasing temperature indicating semiconductor property.

We present first principles calculations of structural, electronic and optical properties of ZnS1-xOx in the zinc-blende phase. We employ the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method within the density functional theory in the generalized gradient approximation and Engel-Vosko generalized gradient approximation. Features such as the lattice constant, the bulk modulus and its pressure derivative are reported. The agreement between our calculated results and available experimental and theoretical data is generally good. Direct and indirect energy band gaps as a function of the oxygen composition in the material of interest are presented and discussed. The material under investigation is found to remain a direct band gap semiconductor over all the alloy composition range (0-1). Furthermore, the optical properties such as the dielectric function, the refractive index, the reflectivity and the electron loss energy have also been reported and analysed.

Graphical abstract: XRD patterns of annealed ZnS films from different zinc salts. Curves a, b, c, d correspond to the annealed ZnS–C1, ZnS–S{sub 3}, ZnS–Cl{sub 2}, ZnS–N{sub 2} thin films. Display Omitted Highlights: ► ZnS thin films were deposited using different zinc salts. ► The grain sizes of deposited ZnS thin films are about 12.5 15.5 nm. ► The band gaps of deposited ZnS thin films were in the range of 3.66–3.83 eV. -- Abstract: ZnS thin films were deposited from different zinc salts by chemical bath deposition (CBD). Structural, morphological and optical characterizations were performed using different methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectra. The particle sizes of as-deposited ZnS thin films were calculated to be about 12.5–15.5 nm and the crystal qualities were improved after annealed at 500 °C in Ar/H{sub 2}S (5%) atmosphere. Optical absorption measurements indicated that the band gaps of ZnS thin films were in the range of 3.66–3.83 eV and they decreased with the increasing of particle sizes. ZnCl{sub 2} was found to the best precursor due to the higher crystal quality and compact surface of deposited ZnS thin films.

Highlights: • REELS analysis can provide optical dispersion and electronic properties of oxide materials. • The band gap varied with In/Zn/Sn compositions and increased after annealing. • The optical properties were examined using REELS in conjunction with the Tougaard–Yubero model. • The dispersion parameters were determined by a single-oscillator Wemple–DiDomenico model. • The Zn and Sn contents play a crucial role in determining the single-oscillator constant and dispersion energy of IZTO thin films. - Abstract: The electronic properties and optical dispersion of indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO) films with different cation compositions were investigated by reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS). The REELS spectra of IZTO films revealed that the band gap varied with different Sn/Zn ratios and In content. The optical properties were examined with REELS data using Tougaard–Yubero model and the results were compared with the envelope of the transmission spectra obtained using a UV-spectrometer. The dispersion behavior of the refractive index from REELS results was studied in terms of the single-oscillator Wemple–DiDomenico model. The results showed that the different compositions of In/Zn/Sn caused a change in the dispersion parameters of IZTO thin films in contrast to the static values of refractive indices and dielectric constant which remained the same. Our work demonstrated that REELS is an efficient tool to study the optical properties of a material by obtaining the optical parameters.

A new trinuclear zinc(II) complex, [Zn3(L)(NCS)2](NO3)2·CH3OH·H2O (1), of a (N,O)-donor compartmental Schiff base ligand (H2L=N,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,3-diamino-2-propanol), has been synthesized in crystalline phase. The zinc(II) complex has been characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction study (PXRD), (1)H NMR, EI mass spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis. PXRD revealed that 1 crystallizes in P-1 space group with a=9.218 Å, b=10.849 Å, c=18.339 Å, with unit cell volume is 2179.713(Å)(3). Fluorescence spectra in methanolic solution reflect that intensity of emission for 1 is much higher compared to H2L and both the compounds exhibit good fluorescence properties. The complex 1 exhibits significant catalytic activities of biological relevance, viz. catechol oxidase. In methanol, it efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC) to corresponding quinone via formation of a dinuclear species as [Zn2(L)(3,5-DTBC)]. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) experiment suggests generation of radicals in the presence of 3,5-DTBC and it may be proposed that the radical pathway is probably responsible for conversion of 3,5-DTBC to 3,5-DTBQ promoted by complex of redox-innocent Zn(II) ion.

We report a subset of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) containing distinct periods of anomalous heavy-ion charge state composition and peculiar ion thermal properties measured by ACE/SWICS from 1998 to 2011. We label them “depleted ICMEs,” identified by the presence of intervals where C6+/C5+ and O7+/O6+ depart from the direct correlation expected after their freeze-in heights. These anomalous intervals within the depleted ICMEs are referred to as “Depletion Regions.” We find that a depleted ICME would be indistinguishable from all other ICMEs in the absence of the Depletion Region, which has the defining property of significantly low abundances of fully charged species of helium, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. Similar anomalies in the slow solar wind were discussed by Zhao et al. We explore two possibilities for the source of the Depletion Region associated with magnetic reconnection in the tail of a CME, using CME simulations of the evolution of two Earth-bound CMEs described by Manchester et al.

Certain aspects of zinc electrode reaction and behavior are investigated in view of their application to batteries. The properties of the zinc electrode in a battery system are discussed, emphasizing porous structure. Shape change is emphasized as the most important factor leading to limited battery cycle life. It is shown that two existing models of shape change based on electroosmosis and current distribution are unable to consistently describe observed phenomena. The first stages of electrocrystallization are studied and the surface reactions between the silver substrate and the deposited zinc layer are investigated. The reaction mechanism of zinc and amalgamated zinc in an alkaline electrolyte is addressed, and the batter system is studied to obtain information on cycling behavior and on the shape change phenomenon. The effect on cycle behavior of diferent amalgamation techniques of the zinc electrode and several additives is addressed. Impedance measurements on zinc electrodes are considered, and battery behavior is correlated with changes in the zinc electrode during cycling.

We investigate the ac magnetic behavior of solution processable, non-stoichiometric zinc ferrite nanocrystals with a series of sizes and zinc concentrations. Nearly monodisperse ZnxFe3-xO4 nanocrystals (x = 0-0.25) with an average size ranging from 7.4 nm to 13.8 nm are synthesized by using a solvothermal method. All the nanocrystals are in a superparamagnetic state at 300 K, which is confirmed by Superconductive Quantum Interference Device magnetometry. Due to the doping of non-magnetic Zn2+ into A site of ferrite, the saturation magnetization of nanocrystals increases as the size and Zn concentration increases. The ac magnetic permeability measurements at radio frequencies reveal that the real part of the magnetic permeability of similarly sized ferrite nanocrystals can be enhanced by almost twofold as the Zn2+ doping level increases from 0 to 0.25. The integration of 12.3 nm Zn0.25Fe2.75O4 nanocrystals into a toroidal inductor and a solenoid inductor prepared via a simple solution cast process yields a higher quality factors than air core inductors with the same geometries up to 5 MHz and 9 MHz, respectively, which is in the regime of the switching frequencies for the advanced integrated power converters.

Zinc phoshide ; CASRN 1314 - 84 - 7 Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data , as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process . Sections I ( Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogenic Ef

The most common and probably the most harmful micronutrient deficiency of commercial pecan enterprises is zinc deficiency. A review is presented of how orchard nutrient element management practices potentially influence tree Zn nutrition. Findings provide background information on how to reduce th...

Zinc cyanide ; CASRN 557 - 21 - 1 Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data , as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process . Sections I ( Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogenic Effe

The guided propagation of whistler waves along cylindrical density depletion ducts in a magneto-plasma is studied. It is shown that, under certain conditions, such ducts can support volume and surface eigenmodes. The dispersion properties and field structure of whistler modes guided by density depletion ducts are analyzed. The effect of collisional losses in the plasma on the properties of modes is discussed.

Autophagy is a mechanism to digest cells' own components, and its importance in many physiological and pathological processes is being recognized. But the molecular mechanism that regulates autophagy is not understood in detail. In the present study, we found that cholesterol depletion induces macroautophagy. The cellular cholesterol in human fibroblasts was depleted either acutely using 5 mM methyl-{beta}-cyclodextrin or 10-20 {mu}g/ml nystatin for 1 h, or metabolically by 20 {mu}M mevastatin and 200 {mu}M mevalonolactone along with 10% lipoprotein-deficient serum for 2-3 days. By any of these protocols, marked increase of LC3-II was detected by immunoblotting and by immunofluorescence microscopy, and the increase was more extensive than that caused by amino acid starvation, i.e., incubation in Hanks' solution for several hours. The induction of autophagic vacuoles by cholesterol depletion was also observed in other cell types, and the LC3-positive membranes were often seen as long tubules, >50 {mu}m in length. The increase of LC3-II by methyl-{beta}-cyclodextrin was suppressed by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors and was accompanied by dephosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin. By electron microscopy, autophagic vacuoles induced by cholesterol depletion were indistinguishable from those seen after amino acid starvation. These results demonstrate that a decrease in cholesterol activates autophagy by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent mechanism.

The objective of this study was to obtain fundamental data for improving the color of meat products by using animal by-products. We investigated zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP)-forming properties of various internal organs from pigs and chickens. ZnPP was formed in the liver, heart and kidney, whereas the porcine spleen and bile, which are involved in the metabolism of heme, did not have ZnPP-forming properties. The optimum pH values were different among the internal organs and the ZnPP-forming properties of porcine organs were better than those of chicken organs. The porcine liver showed the greatest ZnPP-forming properties among all of the internal organs investigated in this study. The optimum pH value for ZnPP formation in the liver was lower than that of skeletal muscle. Oxygen did not inhibit the formation of ZnPP in the liver, unlike in skeletal muscle. Animal by-products such as the liver have good ability for the formation of ZnPP and might be useful for improving the color of meat products.

The effect of metallic zinc (Zn) on the structural properties of (Se0.8Te0.2)1-XZnX (x=0, 2, 6, 8, 10) samples analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The presence of sharp peaks in XRD patterns confirmed the crystalline nature of the samples and is indexed in orthorhombic crystal structure. XRD studies predicts that the average particle size of all the samples are about 46.29 nm, which is less than 100 nm and hence have strong tendency of agglomeration. Williamson-Hall plot method was used to evaluate the lattice strain. The dislocation density and no. of unit cells of the samples were calculated which show the inverse relation with each other. Morphology index derived from FWHM of XRD data explains the direct relationship with the particle size.

The subject of investigation is poly- N-epoxypropylcarbazole and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene] films with zinc 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octabutylphthalocyanine additives. The photoconducive and photodielectric properties of these heterostructures are studied in the absorption range of the metal complex. The photosensitivity of the structures depends on the triplet state of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, their dissociation in an external electric field, and charge carrier trapping. The increased photosensitivity of the heterostructures compared with that of constituent films is explained by a higher efficiency of dissociation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs and a reduced influence of non-equilibrium carrier traps at the interfaces.

Objective: Our goal of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial properties of endodontic sealers against the E. faecalis. Materials and Methods: Six millimeters wells were made for each material in all the preinoculated petri plates. Then, the petri plates were incubated for 24 h. The zones of inhibition appeared were measured, and the measurements were put to statistical analysis. Results: EndoSequence BC Sealer, MM-mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), and ProRoot MTA showed maximum means of diameter of zones of inhibition, whereas MM-seal and Endoseal did not show any zones of inhibition. Conclusion: EndoSequence BC Sealer was found to be a better endodontic sealer as compared to resin-based and zinc oxide-eugenol-based sealer. PMID:27403055

Aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were deposited by employing a low cost and simplified spray technique using a perfume atomizer from starting solutions having different volumes (10, 20, … , 50 mL) of solvent. The effect of solvent volume on the structural, electrical, optical, photoluminescence (PL) and surface morphological properties was studied. The electrical resistivity of the AZO films is remarkably influenced by the variation in the solvent volume. The X-ray diffraction profiles clearly showed that all the films have preferential orientation along the (0 0 2) plane irrespective of the solvent volume. The crystallite size was found to be in the nano range of 35-46 nm. The optical transmittance in the visible region is desirably high (>85%). The AFM images show columnar morphology with varying grain size. The PL studies revealed that the AZO film deposited from 50 mL of solvent volume has good quality with lesser defect density.

Mild dietary zinc deprivation in humans and rodents has little effect on blood plasma zinc levels, and yet cellular consequences of zincdepletion can be detected in vascular and other tissues. We proposed that a zinc-regulated humoral factor might mediate the effects of zinc deprivation. Using a novel approach, primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were treated with plasma from zinc-deficient (<1 mg Zn/kg) or zinc-adequate (35 mg Zn/kg, pair-fed) adult male rats, and zinc levels were manipulated to distinguish direct and indirect effects of plasma zinc. Gene expression changes were analyzed by microarray and qPCR, and incubation of VSMCs with blood plasma from zinc-deficient rats strongly changed the expression of >2500 genes, compared to incubation of cells with zinc-adequate rat plasma. We demonstrated that this effect was caused by a low-molecular-weight (∼2-kDa) zinc-regulated humoral factor but that changes in gene expression were mostly reversed by adding zinc back to zinc-deficient plasma. Strongly regulated genes were overrepresented in pathways associated with immune function and development. We conclude that zinc deficiency induces the production of a low-molecular-weight humoral factor whose influence on VSMC gene expression is blocked by plasma zinc. This factor is therefore under dual control by zinc.

Chlorine and sulfur are the main elements involved in the complexing of metals in ore-forming fluids. The nature and thermodynamic properties of the Zn(II)-Cl complexes have been investigated by previous experimental and theoretical studies and are now well established up to high temperatures (600 °C). In contrast, the role of bisulfide complexes for zinc speciation in sulfur-bearing fluids remains poorly known, and a better understanding of Zn(II)-HS complexation is required for modeling zinc transport in magmatic and metamorphic fluids and for optimizing the hydrometallurgical processing of sulfide ores. We have conducted ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to calculate the speciation of Zn(II)-HS complexes from ambient to hydrothermal-magmatic conditions (25-600 °C, up to 2000 bar). These theoretical calculations were complemented by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements of Zn(II) in HS--rich solutions at 200-500 °C and 600-1000 bar. The speciation and geometrical properties predicted by the ab initio MD simulations and the in situ XAS data are in excellent agreement. Upon heating from room temperature to 250 °C, Zn(II) speciation in HS--rich solutions shows a transition from the sixfold octahedral hexaaquo complex [Zn(H2O)6]2+ to fourfold tetrahedral [Zn(HS)n(H2O)4-n]2-n complexes (n = 1-4). Ab initio MD simulations also show that at temperatures > 250 °C, the threefold trigonal-planar [Zn(HS)3]- complex becomes increasingly stable, and predominates in S-rich solutions; in contrast, chloro-complexes display a tetrahedral geometry at 25-500 °C, while trigonal planar ZnCl3- predominates at temperatures > 500 °C. The stability constants of Zn(II)-HS complexes were calculated by thermodynamic integration of constrained ab initio MD simulations at 200, 350 and 600 °C. The stability constants generated from this study predict that zinc can be transported by HS- at high temperature in reduced, neutral to alkaline solutions, while Zn

I. Many FT-ICR systems are approximately described by the so-called quadrupole approximation; the dynamics of a single ion in a constant magnetic field and a quadratic electrostatic potential. The quadrupole approximation is considered the unperturbed problem while all other forces are treated as perturbations to this motion. Averaging methods are employed to study the effects of electrostatic and excitation field inhomogeneities on ion motion in a cubic ICR cell. A theory of ion motion based on averaging methods in a cubic ICR cell is presented for differential sinusoidal excitation that explains the observed stability, orders of magnitude and resonance positions for excitation frequencies away from the cyclotron frequency. FT-ICR double resonance experiments are used to test the theoretical predictions. For excitation frequencies near the cyclotron frequency, a previously unknown and simple expression is derived for the phase synchronization process in ICR which relates how the cyclotron radius and phase depend on the initial conditions. Finally, Lie transform perturbation theory and averaging methods are used to derive frequency shifts and mode amplitudes to all three fundamental ICR modes for the true electrostatic cubic cell potential. These analytical results give good agreement with numerical results. II. All electron Hartree-Fock cluster calculations are carried out to derive electron densities, electric field gradients and electronic structures in zinc chalcogenides, zinc fluoride and oxide spinels in order to theoretically interpret the available hyperfine interactions data. The theoretical densities at the zinc nucleus are combined with experimental isomer shifts to estimate a value for the mean square nuclear charge radius for the Mossbauer transition in ^{67}Zn of Delta< r^2 > = {+(13.9} +/- 1.4)times10 ^{-3} fm^2. For ZnO (wurtzite) and ZnF_2, the electric field gradient tensors are calculated at all nuclei and compared with the available data

The electrical behavior of zinc ions implanted into chromium-doped semiinsulating gallium arsenide was investigated by measurements of the sheet resistivity and Hall effect. Room temperature implantations were performed using fluence values from 10 to the 12th to 10 to the 15th power/sq cm at 60 keV. The samples were annealed for 30 minutes in a nitrogen atmosphere up to 800 C in steps of 200 C and the effect of this annealing on the Hall effect and sheet resistivity was studied at room temperature using the Van der Pauw technique. The temperature dependence of sheet resistivity and mobility was measured from liquid nitrogen temperature to room temperature. Finally, a measurement of the implanted profile was obtained using a layer removal technique combined with the Hall effect and sheet resistivity measurements.

The purpose of this investigation was to conduct the failure analysis of a water-supply system made from zinc-coated steel. The observed corrosion process had an intense and complex character. The brownish deposits and perforations were present after 2-3 years of exploitation. The electrochemical study based on the Tafel polarization, corrosion potential monitoring, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy together with microscopic analysis via SEM and EDX were performed in order to identify the cause of such intense corrosion. The performed measurements allowed us to determine that thermal shock was the source of polarity-reversal phenomenon. This process had begun the corrosion of steel which later led to the formation of deposits and perforations in the pipes. The work includes appropriate action in order to efficiently identify the described corrosion threat.

The authors investigated the field emission from vertically well-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoneedles grown on the Au/Ti/n-Si (100) substrate using metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The turn-on field of ZnO nanoneedles was about 0.85 V/{mu}m at the current density of 0.1 {mu}A/cm{sup 2}, and the emission current density of 1 mA/cm{sup 2} was achieved at the applied electric field of 5.0 V/{mu}m. The low turn-on field of the ZnO nanoneedles was attributed to very sharp tip morphology, and the high emission current density was mainly caused by the formation of the stable Ohmic contact between the ZnO nanoneedles and Au film.

Chemically prepared zinc oxide powders were processed for the production of high aspect ratio varistor components (length/diameter >5). Near-net-shape casting methods including slip casting and agarose gelcasting were evaluated for effectiveness in achieving a uniform green microstructure that densifies to near theoretical values during sintering. The structure of the green parts was examined by mercury porisimetry. Agarose gelcasting produced green parts having low solids loading values and did not achieve high fired density. Isopressing the agarose cast parts after drying raised the fired density to greater than 95%, but the parts exhibited catastrophic shorting during electrical testing. Slip casting produced high green density parts, which exhibit high fired density values. The electrical characteristics of slip-cast parts are comparable with dry-pressed powder compacts.

Dye sensitizers can significantly affect power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Porphyrin-based dyes are promising sensitizers due to their performances in DSSCs. Here, based upon a N-fused carbazole-zinc porphyrin-free-base porphyrin triad containing an ethynyl-linkage (coded as DTBC), the novel porphyrin dyes named DTBC-MP and DTBC-TP were designed by varying the porphyrin-free-base units in the π conjugation of DTBC in order to study the effect of porphyrin-free-base in the modification of electronic structures and related properties. The calculated results indicate that, the extension of the conjugate bridge with the porphyrin-free-base unit results in elevation of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies, decrease of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies, reduction of the HOMO-LUMO gap, red-shift of the absorption bands, and enhancement of the absorbance. The free energy changes demonstrate that introducing more porphyrin-free-base units in the conjugate bridge induces a faster rate of electron injection. The transition properties and molecular orbital characters suggest that the different transition properties might lead to a different electron injection mechanism. In terms of electronic structure, absorption spectra, light harvesting capability, and free energy changes, the designed DTBC-TP is a promising candidate dye sensitizer for DSSCs. PMID:26610469

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were deposited on glass and polyimide substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. We investigated the effects of the oxygen gas ratio on the properties of the AZO films for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cell applications. The structural and optical properties of the AZO thin films were measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and UV-Visible-NIR spectrophotometry. The oxygen gas ratio played a crucial role in controlling the optical as well as electrical properties of the films. When oxygen gas was added into the film, the surface AZO thin films became smoother and the grains were enlarged while the preferred orientation changed from (0 0 2) to (1 0 0) plane direction of the hexagonal phase. An improvement in the transmittance of the AZO thin films was achieved with the addition of 2.5-% oxygen gas. The electrical resistivity was highly increased even for a small amount of the oxygen gas addition.

An aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) films for front contacts of thin film solar cells, in this work, were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering with different target angles. Effects of target angles on the structural and electro-optical properties of AZO films were investigated. Also, to clarify the light trapping of textured AZO film, amorphous silicon thin film solar cells were fabricated on the textured AZO/glass substrate and the performance of solar cells were studied. The surface became more irregular with increasing the target angle due to larger grains. The self-surface textured morphology, which is a favorable property as front layer of solar cell, exhibited at target angle of 72.5 degrees. We obtained the films with various opto-electronic properties by controlling target angle from 32.5 degrees to 72.5 degrees. The spectral haze increased substantially with the target angle, whereas the electrical resistivity was increased. The conversion efficiency of amorphous silicon solar cells with textured AZO film as a front electrode was improved by the increase of short-circuit current density and fill factor, compared to cell with relatively flat AZO films.

Binary zinc tin oxide nano-composite was synthesized by a facile sol-gel method using simple precursors from the solutions consisting of zinc acetate, tin(IV) chloride and ethanol. Effect of annealing temperature on optical and structural properties was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD results revealed the existence of the ZnO and SnO2 phases. FESEM results showed that binary zinc tin oxide nano-composites ranges from 56 to 60 nm in diameter at 400°C and 500°C annealing temperatures respectively. The optical band gap was increased from 2.72 eV to 3.11 eV with the increasing of the annealing temperature. FTIR results confirmed the presence of zinc oxide and tin oxide and the broad absorption peaks at 3426 and 1602 cm(-1) can be ascribed to the vibration of absorptive water, and the absorption peaks at 546, 1038 and 1410 cm(-1) are due to the vibration of Zn-O or Sn-O groups in binary zinc tin oxide.

Binary zinc tin oxide nano-composite was synthesized by a facile sol-gel method using simple precursors from the solutions consisting of zinc acetate, tin(IV) chloride and ethanol. Effect of annealing temperature on optical and structural properties was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD results revealed the existence of the ZnO and SnO2 phases. FESEM results showed that binary zinc tin oxide nano-composites ranges from 56 to 60 nm in diameter at 400 °C and 500 °C annealing temperatures respectively. The optical band gap was increased from 2.72 eV to 3.11 eV with the increasing of the annealing temperature. FTIR results confirmed the presence of zinc oxide and tin oxide and the broad absorption peaks at 3426 and 1602 cm-1 can be ascribed to the vibration of absorptive water, and the absorption peaks at 546, 1038 and 1410 cm-1 are due to the vibration of Zn-O or Sn-O groups in binary zinc tin oxide.

In this study, an investigation was conducted to explore and synthesize silicate (SiO2) glass from waste rice husk ash (RHA). MnO2 doped zinc silicate glasses with chemical formula [(ZnO)55 + (WRHA)45]100-X[MnO2]X, (where X = 0, 1, 3 and 5 wt%) was prepared by conventional melt quenching technique. The glass samples were characterized using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The results revealed that by increasing the concentration of MnO2, the color of glass samples changed from colorless to brown and the density of glass increased. XRD results showed that a broad halo peak which centered on the low angle (2θ = 30°) indicated the amorphous nature of the glass. FTIR results showed basic structural units of Si-O-Si in non-bridging oxygen, Si-O and Mn-O in the glass network. FESEM result showed a decreasing porosity with an increasing MnO2 content, which was attributed to the Mn ions resort to occupy interstitial sites inside the pores of glass. Besides, the absorption intensity of glass increased and the band gap value decreased with increasing the MnO2 percentage. In this synthesized glass system of MnO2 doped zinc silicate glasses using RHA as a source of silica, the MnO2 affect most of the properties of the glass system under investigation.

Plants have gained importance in situ bioremediation of heavy metals. In the present study, different concentrations of zinc (Zn2+) (0.5, 5, 10, 15, 20 mg/l) and lead (Pb2+) (1, 2, 4, 6, 8 mg/l) were used to evaluate metal tolerance level of Lemna minor. L.minor were exposed to metals for 4 days and tested for its dry to fresh weight ratio (DW/FW), photosynthetic pigments production and protein content. The oxidative damage was detected by measuring catalase activity. L.minor showed tolerance against Zn2+ and Pb2+ at a concentration of 10 and 4 mg/l, respectively. Among the metals, Pb2+ showed a significant toxicity at 8 mg/l. High concentration (20 mg/l of Zn2+ and 8 mg/l of Pb2+) of the metals displayed a considerable negative effect on soluble proteins (13 fold decrease with Zn2+ and 4 fold decrease with Pb2+) and photosynthetic pigments (twofold decrease with Zn2+ and onefold decrease with Pb2+) and lead to a consequent reduction in number of fronds. Further, the catalase was greatly increased (twofold decrease with Zn2+ and sixfold decrease with Pb2+) under metal stress. The results indicate that L.minor withstands Zn2+ and Pb2+ toxicity up to the concentration of 10 and 4 mg/l, respectively. Hence, the metal tolerant property of this plant shall be exploited for bioremediation of Zinc and Lead in polluted water. Further, the detailed and wide range of heavy metal toxicity studies should be done to reveal the possible use of this plant on large scale bioremediation purpose.

Zinc sulfide films have been deposited on glass substrates at room temperature by the chemical bath deposition technique. The growth mechanism is studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption spectra and electrical measurements. The as-deposited film was given thermal annealing treatment in air atmosphere at various temperatures (100, 200, 300 400 and 500 °C) for 1 h. The annealed film was also characterized by structural, optical and electrical studies. The structural analyses revealed that the as-deposited film was amorphous, but after being annealed at 500 °C, it changed to polycrystalline. The optical band gap is direct with a value of 4.01 eV, but this value decreased to 3.74 eV with annealing temperature, except for the 500 °C anneal where it only decreased to 3.82 eV. The refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), and real (ɛ1) and imaginary (ɛ2) parts of the dielectric constant are evaluated. Raman peaks appearing at ~478 cm-1, ~546 cm-1, ~778 cm-1 and ~1082 cm-1 for the annealed film (500 °C) were attributed to [TOl+LAΣ, 2TOΓ, 2LO, 3LO phonons of ZnS. The electrical conductivities of both as-deposited and annealed films have been calculated to be of the order of ~10-10 (Ω cm)-1 .

High quality transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) often require a high thermal budget fabrication process. In this study, Excimer Laser Annealing (ELA) at a wavelength of 248 nm has been explored as a processing mechanism to facilitate low thermal budget fabrication of high quality aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films. 180 nm thick AZO films were prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering at room temperature on fused silica substrates. The effects of the applied RF power and the sputtering pressure on the outcome of ELA at different laser energy densities and number of pulses have been investigated. AZO films deposited with no intentional heating at 180 W, and at 2 mTorr of 0.2% oxygen in argon were selected as the optimum as-deposited films in this work, with a resistivity of 1×10-3 Ω.cm, and an average visible transmission of 85%. ELA was found to result in noticeably reduced resistivity of 5×10-4 Ω.cm, and enhancing the average visible transmission to 90% when AZO is processed with 5 pulses at 125 mJ/cm2. Therefore, the combination of RF magnetron sputtering and ELA, both low thermal budget and scalable techniques, can provide a viable fabrication route of high quality AZO films for use as transparent electrodes.

Collective optical and infrared measurements have been employed to investigate the state of increasing copper ions in host 0.5ZnO-0.5P2O5 glass composition. The same spectral measurements were repeated after gamma irradiation with a dose of 20 and 80 KGy. Optical absorption spectra reveal strong UV absorption due to trace ferric ions present as unavoidable impurities within the chemicals used in the preparation of the glasses. Copper containing glasses show an additional broad visible-near infrared band due to distorted octahedrally coordinated Cu2+ ions which at high CuO contents exhibit splitting to several component absorption peaks. Gamma irradiation causes several variations between the response of the base host zinc phosphate glass and effect of increasing CuO. These changes are correlated with both the formation of induced defects through suggested photochemical reactions in the UV region and some shielding effects with increasing CuO in the visible-near infrared spectrum. Infrared absorption spectra reveal repetitive vibrational bands due to phosphate groups mainly from metaphosphate units and the spectra show some variations with the increase of CuO content visualize by the increase of the intensity of the mid broad band extending in the range 800-1500 cm-1.

Transparent conducting oxides were successfully prepared from mixed zinc nitrate hexahydrate and indium nitrate hydrate solutions in ethylene glycol using sol-gel technique. The In content in the film was varied (0, 2, 10, 20, 40, 75 and 100 atom %). Films were prepared by spin coating of the liquid precursors followed by thermal decomposition at 400° C after each layer. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the pure ZnO and pure InO films (0 and at 100 % In) were crystalline as-deposited. The crystallinity was suppressed in mixed compositions such that the films with compositions between 10 and 75 at % were amorphous. All the films were transparent with the transmission cut-off frequency near 400 nm, which is characteristic of TCO materials. All as-deposited films were conductive with 0 and 100 atom % In having the lowest resistivities. The resistivity of all compositions were improved by post-deposition reducing anneal in pure Ar at 300° C. The lowest resistivity of 0.2 Ωcm was obtained for the pure ZnO after Ar anneal. It was two-orders of magnitude higher than reported in the literature for the In-doped ZnO, which was attributed to the low processing temperature. The resistivities of as-deposited and annealed in Ar films were increased by consequent air anneal at 300° C.

Nanocrystalline Nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) and Zn substituted nickel ferrite (NiZnFe2O4) have been synthesized by the refluxing method. These ferrites were characterized by XRD, TEM, Mossbauer spectroscopy and VSM in order to study the effect of zinc substitution in nickel ferrite. XRD diffraction results confirm the spinel structure for the prepared nanocrystalline ferrites with an average crystallite size of 14-16 nm. Lattice parameter was found to increase with the substitution of Zn2+ ions from 8.40 Å to 8.42 Å. TEM images confirmed average particle size of about 20 nm and indicates nanocrystalline nature of the compounds. A shift in isomeric deviation with the doublet was observed due to the influence of Zn substitution in the nickel ferrite. The Zn content has a significant influence on the magnetic behavior and electrical conductivity of NiFe2O4. Saturation magnetization drastically increased whereas room temperature electrical conductivity decreased due to the addition of Zn content in NiFe2O4, indicating super magnetic material with lesser coercivity.

Zinc(ii) phthalocyanine (TEMPO-ZnPc), peripherally functionalized with 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) radicals is synthesized and its magneto structural and electrochemical behaviors are investigated. TEMPO-ZnPc shows multi-electron ring based reduction reactions and a TEMPO based oxidation reaction. Spectroelectrochemical measurements support these peak assignments. TEMPO-ZnPc is tested as a homogeneous and heterogeneous ascorbic acid (AA) sensor. Disappearance of TEMPO-ZnPc based reduction processes and the observation of new waves at around 0 and 1.20 V with respect to increasing AA concentration indicate the interaction of TEMPO-ZnPc with AA and usability of the complex as an electrochemical AA sensor. For practical usage as heterogeneous electrocatalysts for AA sensing, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) is coated with TEMPO-ZnPc (GCE/TEMPO-ZnPc) and this modified electrode is tested as a heterogeneous AA sensor. The redox peak of GCE/TEMPO-ZnPc at 0.81 V decreases the peak current while a new wave is observed at 0.65 V during the titration of the electrolyte with AA. GCE/TEMPO-ZnPc sense AA with 1.75 × 10(-6) mol dm(-3) LOD with a sensitivity of 1.89 × 10(3) A cm mol(-1).

Zinc is one of the most abundant divalent metal ions in the brain, its concentration being greater than those of copper and manganese. Since free zinc ion is a potent inhibitor of sulfhydryl enzymes, we postulated that zinc in the brain most probably exists bound to macromolecules. As zinc-binding proteins in brain have not been characterized, we attempted to discover the occurrence and properties of these proteins. By using Sephadex G-75 column chromatography calibrated with proteins of known molecular weights, and by other techniques, we detected separate zinc-binding proteins, with apparent estimated molecular weights ranging from 15,000 to 210,000. Unlike the hepatic or renal zinc thioneins, the zinc-binding proteins in brain are not inducible following administration of zinc. Our interpretation of the results is that the major portion of the existing zinc in the brain is bound, and does not exist in free form.

Two kinds of metameric tetra-amino-phthalocyanine zinc (ZnTAPc) bearing peripherally and non-peripherally substituent groups connected to graphene oxide (GO) has been synthesized via covalent functionalized reaction. A series of characterizations including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra, Raman spectra, thermogravimetric analysis and ultraviolet-visible absorption confirm that the two kinds of ZnTAPc are grafted onto the GO nanosheets successfully. The fluorescence spectra show strong fluorescence quenching by the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process between ZnTAPc moieties and GO nanosheets, and the possibility of the PET process has been further proved using the thermodynamic method. The nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the two kinds of hybrid material were investigated using the Z-scan technique at the wavelength of 532 nm in the nanosecond scale. The GO-β-ZnTAPc hybrid possesses much stronger nonlinear absorption effect than GO-α-ZnTAPc hybrid, showing that the position of substituent have a significant influence on the NLO properties of aforementioned hybrids.

We report the results of first-principles calculations based on the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW + lo) method to explore the effects of alloying under the non-conventional AlN III-V compound with bismuth. We have calculated the structural and electronic properties of the binary compounds AlN and AlBi in the zinc blend structure. We have found a good agreement between our results and the experimental and theoretical results available for that binary compounds which may be a support for the results of the ternary alloys. For the AlNBi ternary alloys, we have found a rapid reduction of the energy gap by 1.31 eV/%Bi accompanied by a strong increase in the spin-orbit splitting energy (Δso) with increasing Bi composition. We have also shown that the Δso becomes greater than the energy gap for composition of Bi about 4.2% (Δso > E g). This result is significant due to the possibility of suppressing Auger recombination, which is expected to improve the high temperature performance and thermal stability of light emitting devices. Finally, we have calculated the variation of the optical properties of AlNBi compounds, such as dielectric function and refractive index versus Bi composition.

Calculations have been performed to investigate the pressure-induced solid-solid phase transitions and the mechanical stability for three zinc-blende II-VI semiconductor compounds: ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe by ab initio plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT). Using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for exchange and correlation in the scheme of Perdew-Wang 1991 (PW91), the ground state properties and equation of state are obtained, which are well consistent with the experimental data available and other calculations. On the basis of the forth-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of states, the transition pressures Pt are determined through the analysis of enthalpy variation with pressure. A linear-response approach is used to calculate the frequencies of the phonon dispersion. Finally, by the calculations of phonon frequencies, some thermodynamic properties such as the vibrational contribution to the Helmholtz free energy (F), enthalpy (H), entropy (S), and the heat capacity (CV) are also successfully obtained.

Cobalt-zinc nanoferrites with formulae Co ZnFeO, where x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3, have been synthesized by solution combustion technique. The variation of DC resistivity with temperature shows the semiconducting behavior of all nanoferrites. The dielectric properties such as dielectric constant (') and dielectric loss tangent (tan are investigated as a function of temperature and frequency. Dielectric constant and loss tangent are found to be increasing with an increase in temperature while with an increase in frequency both, ' and tan , are found to be decreasing. The dielectric properties have been explained on the basis of space charge polarization according to Maxwell-Wagner's two-layer model and the hopping of charge between Fe and Fe. Further, a very high value of dielectric constant and a low value of tan are the prime achievements of the present work. The AC electrical conductivity ( is studied as a function of temperature as well as frequency and is observed to be increasing with the increase in temperature and frequency.

Zinc is an essential nutrients and plays an important role in growth and sexual function. Zinc deficiency has been known to cause growth retardation and hypogonadism. Several mechanisms of growth retardation and hypogonadism due to zinc deficiency have been suggested. Zinc affects growth hormone (GH) metabolism. Conversely, GH affects zinc metabolism. Zinc deficiency may result in reduced GH production and/or insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Zinc deficiency may also affect bone metabolism and gonadal function. The interrelationships among zinc, growth, gonadal function, and GH-IGF-I axis appears to be complex.

Within the framework of the macroscopic dielectric continuum model and Loudon's uniaxial crystal model, the phonon modes of a wurtzite/zinc-blende one-dimensional (1D) cylindrical nanowire (NW) are derived and studied. The analytical phonon states of phonon modes are given. It is found that there exist two types of polar phonon modes, i.e. interface optical (IO) phonon modes and the quasi-confined (QC) phonon modes existing in 1D wurtzite/zinc-blende NWs. Via the standard procedure of field quantization, the Fröhlich electron-phonon interaction Hamiltonians are obtained. Numerical calculations of dispersive behavior of these phonon modes on a wurtzite/zinc-blende ZnO/MgO NW are performed. The frequency ranges of the IO and QC phonon modes of the ZnO/MgO NWs are analyzed and discussed. It is found that the IO modes only exist in one frequency range, while QC modes may appear in three frequency ranges. The dispersive properties of the IO and QC modes on the free wave-number kz and the azimuthal quantum number m are discussed. The analytical Hamiltonians of electron-phonon interaction obtained here are quite useful for further investigating phonon influence on optoelectronics properties of wurtzite/zinc-blende 1D NW structures.

A flow control system includes two bubbler tubes installed at different levels within a tank containing such as radioactive liquid. As the tank is depleted, a differential pressure transmitter monitors pressure differences imparted by the two bubbler tubes at a remote, shielded location during uniform time intervals. At the end of each uniform interval, balance pots containing a dense liquid are valved together to equalize the pressures. The resulting sawtooth-shaped signal generated by the differential pressure transmitter is compared with a second sawtooth signal representing the desired flow rate during each time interval. Variations in the two signals are employed by a control instrument to regulate flow rate.

Our previous studies have shown that nutritional zinc restriction exacerbates airway inflammation accompanied by an increase in caspase-3 activation and an accumulation of apoptotic epithelial cells in the bronchioles of the mice. Normally, apoptotic cells are rapidly cleared by macrophage efferocytosis, limiting any secondary necrosis and inflammation. We therefore hypothesized that zinc deficiency is not only pro-apoptotic but also impairs macrophage efferocytosis. Impaired efferocytic clearance of apoptotic epithelial cells by alveolar macrophages occurs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cigarette-smoking and other lung inflammatory diseases. We now show that zinc is a factor in impaired macrophage efferocytosis in COPD. Concentrations of zinc were significantly reduced in the supernatant of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with COPD who were current smokers, compared to healthy controls, smokers or COPD patients not actively smoking. Lavage zinc was positively correlated with AM efferocytosis and there was decreased efferocytosis in macrophages depleted of Zn in vitro by treatment with the membrane-permeable zinc chelator TPEN. Organ and cell Zn homeostasis are mediated by two families of membrane ZIP and ZnT proteins. Macrophages of mice null for ZIP1 had significantly lower intracellular zinc and efferocytosis capability, suggesting ZIP1 may play an important role. We investigated further using the human THP-1 derived macrophage cell line, with and without zinc chelation by TPEN to mimic zinc deficiency. There was no change in ZIP1 mRNA levels by TPEN but a significant 3-fold increase in expression of another influx transporter ZIP2, consistent with a role for ZIP2 in maintaining macrophage Zn levels. Both ZIP1 and ZIP2 proteins were localized to the plasma membrane and cytoplasm in normal human lung alveolar macrophages. We propose that zinc homeostasis in macrophages involves the coordinated action of ZIP1 and ZIP2 transporters

This work is devoted to the analysis of factors responsible for the high-frequency shift of the complex permeability (μ*) dispersion region in polymer composites of manganese-zinc (MnZn) ferrite, as well as to the increase in their thermomagnetic stability. The magnetic spectra of the ferrite and its composites with polyurethane (MnZn-PU) and polyaniline (MnZn-PANI) are measured in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 3 GHz in a longitudinal magnetization field of up to 700 Ое and in the temperature interval from -20 °С to +150 °С. The approximation of the magnetic spectra by a model, which takes into account the role of domain wall motion and magnetization rotation, allows one to determine the specific contribution of resonance processes associated with domain wall motion and the natural ferromagnetic resonance to the μ*. It is established that, at high frequencies, the μ* of the MnZn ferrite is determined solely by magnetization rotation, which occurs in the region of natural ferromagnetic resonance when the ferrite is in the “single domain” state. In the polymer composites of the MnZn ferrite, the high-frequency permeability is also determined mainly by the magnetization rotation; however, up to high values of magnetizing fields, there is a contribution of domain wall motion, thus the “single domain” state in ferrite is not reached. The frequency and temperature dependence of μ* in polymer composites are governed by demagnetizing field and the induced magnetic anisotropy. The contribution of the induced magnetic anisotropy is crucial for MnZn-PANI. It is attributed to the elastic stresses that arise due to the domain wall pinning by a polyaniline film adsorbed on the surface of the ferrite during in-situ polymerization.

A new series of Zinc telluro-fluoroborate glasses (ZTFB) doped with Dy3+ ions with the chemical composition (30-x) B2O3 + 30TeO2 + 16ZnO + 10ZnF2 + 7CaF2 + 7BaF2 + xDy2O3 (where x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 in wt%) have been synthesized by the conventional melt quenching technique and the prepared glass samples were characterized through XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis-NIR optical absorption, photoluminescence and decay spectral measurements. The XRD patterns have been recorded to confirm the amorphous nature. The FTIR spectral measurements were carried out to identify the functional groups present in the title glasses. From the energy band positions of the absorption spectra, bonding parameters (βbar and δ) have been calculated to identify the covalent/ionic nature of the metal-ligand bond present in the prepared glasses. The Judd-Ofelt (JO) intensity parameters Ωλ (λ = 2, 4 and 6) have been calculated from the oscillator strengths of the different absorption bands to understand the nature of the ligand environment around the Dy3+ ions. The radiative parameters such as transition probability (A), stimulated emission cross-section (σPE), radiative lifetime (τR) and branching ratios (βR) corresponding to the 4F9/2 → 6H15/2, 4F9/2 → 6H13/2, and 4F9/2 → 6H11/2 emission transitions have been determined using JO parameters and the refractive index values. The CIE chromaticity coordinates were calculated from the luminescence spectra to explore the dominant emission colour of the title glasses and the obtained results were discussed in detail and reported.

The suitability of zinc-containing dehydrating fixatives for neurohistological study of paraffin sections using Nissl staining and immunocytochemical techniques was examined. It was found that zinc-containing dehydrating fixatives (zinc-ethanol-formaldehyde and zinc-acetone-isopropanol-formaldehyde) had a capacity for good preservation of both structure and antigenic properties of the nervous tissue and could be recommended for application in neurohistological studies.

Background Synthetic bone graft substitutes such as bioactive glass (BG) material are developed in order to achieve successful bone regeneration. Zn plays an important role in the proper bone growth, development, and maintenance of healthy bones. Aims This study aims to evaluate in vivo the performance therapy of zinc-doped bioactive glass (BG-Zn) and its applications in biomedicine. Methods Female Wistar rats were ovariectomized. BG and BG-Zn were implanted in the femoral condyles of Wistar rats and compared to that of control group. Grafted bone tissues were carefully removed to evaluate the oxidative stress status, histomorphometric profile, mechanical property, and mineral bone distribution by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results A significant decrease of thiobarbituric acid–reactive substances was observed after BG-Zn implantation. Superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities significantly increased in ovariectomized group implanted with Zinc-doped bioactive glass (OVX-BG-Zn) as compared to ovariectomized group implanted with bioactive glass (OVX-BG). An improved mechanical property was noticed in contact of OVX-BG-Zn (39±6 HV) when compared with that of OVX-BG group (26±9 HV). After 90 days of implantation, the histomorphometric analysis showed that trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and trabecular number (Tb.N) were significantly increased with 28 and 24%, respectively, in treated rats of OVX-BG-Zn group as compared to those of OVX-BG groups. Trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) and trabecular bone pattern factor (TBPf) were significantly decreased in OVX-BG-Zn group with 29.5 and 54% when compared with those of OVX-BG rat groups. On the other hand, a rise in Ca and P ion concentrations in the implanted microenvironment was shown and lead to the formation/deposition of Ca-P phases. The ratio of pyridinoline [Pyr] to dihydroxylysinonorleucine [DHLNL] cross-links was normalized to the control level

We report the molecular mechanism for zincdepletion caused by TPEN (N,N,N′,N′-Tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine) in neuroblastoma cells. The activation of p38 MAP kinase and subsequently caspase 3 is not due to or followed by redox imbalance or ROS generation, though these are commonly observed in literature. We found that TPEN is not responsible for ROS generation and the mechanism involves essentially lysosomal disruption caused by intracellular zincdepletion. We also observed a modest activation of Bax and no changes in the Bcl-2 proteins. As a result, we suggest that TPEN causes intracellular zincdepletion which can influence the breakdown of lysosomes and cell death without ROS generation. PMID:27123155

Periodic density functional theory calculations with the B3LYP hybrid functional and all-electron Gaussian basis set were performed to simulate the structural and electronic properties as well as the strain and formation energies of single-walled ZnO nanotubes (SWZnONTs) and Carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with different chiralities as functions of their diameters. For all SWZnONTs, the band gap, strain energy, and formation energy converge to ~4.5 eV, 0.0 eV/atom, and 0.40 eV/atom, respectively. This result suggests that the nanotubes are formed more easily from the surface than from the bulk. For SWCNTs, the strain energy is always positive, while the formation energy is negative for armchair and zigzag nanotubes, therefore suggesting that these types of nanotubes can be preferentially formed from the bulk. The electronic properties of SWCNTs depend on the chirality; all armchair nanotubes are metallic, while zigzag and chiral nanotubes can be metallic or semiconducting, depending on the n and m vectors. - Graphical abstract: DFT/B3LYP were performed to simulate the structural and electronic properties as well as the strain and formation energies of SWZnONTs and SWCNTs with different chiralities as functions of their diameters. - Highlights: • The energies of SWZnONTs converge for chirality with diameters up 20 Å. • SWCNTs electronic properties depend on the chirality. • The properties of SWZnONTs are very similar to those of monolayer surface.

The properties of ZnO nanorods (ZnONRs) decorated with platinum nanodendrites (PtNDs) were studied. Various sizes of PtNDs were synthesized and spin coated onto ZnONRs, which were grown on indium-titanium-oxide (ITO) substrates through a low-temperature hydrothermal method. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses were conducted to analyze the morphology and structural properties of the electrodes. The effects of PtND size, glucose concentration, and Nafion amount on glucose-sensing properties were investigated. The glucose-sensing properties of electrodes with immobilized glucose oxidase (GOx) were measured using cyclic voltammetry. The bio-electrochemical properties of Nafion/GOx/42 nm PtNDs/ZnONRs/ITO glucose sensor was observed with linear range within 1-18 mM, with a sensitivity value of 5.85 μA/mM and a limit of detection of 1.56 mM. The results of this study indicate that PtNDs/ZnONRs/ITO has potential in glucose sensor applications.

Thin films of double layer of ZnO/Al has succeeded in deposition on a glass substrate using sol-gel method and spray coating techniques. Variations of doping Al as much as 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%. ZnO precursor synthesized using zinc acetate dehydrate (Zn(COOCH3)2.2H2O), isopropanol ((CH3)2CHOH) and monoethanolamine (MEA) were stirred using a magnetic stirrer for 45 minutes. ZnO precursor get homogeneous and then added of aluminum nitrate nonahydrate predetermined doping concentration and stirred again for 15 minutes. Deposition solution is done by the spray on a glass substrate and then heated at a temperature of 450°C. A layer of ZnO/Al deposited over the ZnO to produce a thin layer of a double layer. Optical properties layer of ZnO/Al characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Based on data from UV-Vis absorbance was determined the value of the energy band gap. Pure and dopped layers has different energy due the Al dopping. For pure ZnO layer has energy band gap of 3.347 eV and decreased to 3.09 eV for ZnO layer with Al dopant.

Pure and Co-doped zinc oxide nanomaterials were prepared by a simple low temperature synthesis and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. The results showed the formation of nanobushes that consists of several nanowires for pure ZnO and the nanorods formed by self-aggregation for Co-doped ZnO. The presence of Co{sup 2+} ions replacing some of the Zn{sup 2+} in the ZnO lattice was confirmed by EPR and DRS studies. The mechanism for the formation of self-aggregated and self-aligned ZnO rods after the incorporation of cobalt in the lattice by the building block units is discussed in this study. Morphological studies were carried out using SEM and HR-TEM, which supports the validity of the proposed mechanism for the formation of ZnO nanobushes and Co-doped ZnO nanorods. The synthesized nanomaterials were found to have good optoelectronic properties.

The use of artificial bone grafts has increased in order to satisfy a growing demand for bone replacement materials. Initial mechanical stability of synthetic bone grafts is very advantageous for certain clinical applications. Coupled with the advantage of mechanical strength, a material with inherent antibacterial properties would be very beneficial. A series of strontium-doped zinc silicate (Ca-Sr-Na-Zn-Si) glass ceramics have been characterized in terms of their crystalline structure, biaxial flexural strength and antibacterial efficacy based on the identification of optimum sintering conditions. All three glass ceramics, namely, BT110, BT111, and BT112 were found to be fully crystalline, with BT111 and BT112 comprising of biocompatible crystalline phases. The biaxial flexural strengths of the three glass ceramics ranged from 70 to 149 MPa and were shown to be superior to those of clinically established ceramics in dry conditions and following incubation in simulated physiological conditions. The bacteriostatic effect for each glass ceramic was also established, where BT112 showed an inhibitory effect against three of the most common bacteria found at implantation sites, namely, Enterococcus faecalis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results of the evaluation suggest that the materials studied offer advantages over current clinical materials and indicate the potential suitability of the glass ceramics as therapeutic bone grafts.

In this report, Bi-doped antimony zinc thin films were prepared on BK7 glass substrates by using direct magnetron co-sputtering technique. Bi was doped at the halfway point of deposition, and the doping contents were 2 at.%, 4 at.%, and 6 at.%, respectively. We present the micro-structural and room-temperature thermoelectric properties of Bi-doped Zn-Sb thin films in this paper. The maximum value of the Seebeck coefficient was found to be 300 μV/K with a Bi content of 6 at.%. This is one of the highest values of the Seebeck coefficient for Zn-Sb thin films deposited by direct magnetron co-sputtering. Carrier concentration is obtained from Hall effect measurements, which provided insights into the transport mechanisms that affected electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. It is significant to doping Bi, which enhances the power factor to an optimal value of 0. 26 mW/mK2 and the optimal ZT value to 0.086 with the Bi content of 4 at.% at room-temperature.

It was found that 3,3‧-, 2,3‧- and 2,2‧-zinc(II) bis(dipyrromethenate)s ([Zn2L2]) form stable supramolecular complexes with aromatic and aliphatic amines (X - pyridine (Py), N,N-dimethylmethanamide (DMF), diethylamine (DEA) and triethylamine (TEA)) of the composition [Zn2L2(X)n]. Composition, stability and spectral-luminescent properties of the [Zn2L2(X)n] crystal solvates were studied by means of FTIR, PXRD, thermal, mass spectral, absorption, and fluorescence analyses. Spectroscopic studies showed that the quantum yield (φ) of [Zn2L2(Х)n] in cyclohexane is much lower (to ∼ 1.4-4.0 times) than φ for the [Zn2L2]. Crystal solvates are stable up to a temperature ∼367.35-427.55 K. It is demonstrated, that the high interactions energies (Znsbnd N) in [Zn2L2(X)n] supramolecular complexes are the main cause of the fluorescence quenching of [Zn2L2] luminophores in the presence of electron-donor molecules. The obtained results are of interest for the development on the basis of [Zn2L2] of a new fluorescent sensors of the electron donor molecules.

In this work, we used a system based on ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. By witch, we have deposited thin films of zinc oxide (ZnO) with the variation of solution flow rate from 50 ml / h to 150 ml / h, and set other parameters such as the concentration of the solution, the deposition time, substrate temperature and the nozzel -substrate distance. In order to study the influence of the solution flow rate on the properties of the films produced, we have several characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction to determine the films structure, the scanning electron microscopy SEM for the morphology of the surfaces, EDS spectroscopy for the chemical composition, UV-Visible-Nir spectroscopy for determination the optical proprieties of thin films.The experimental results show that: the films have hexagonal structure at the type (wurtzite), the average size of grains varies from 20.11 to 32.45 nm, the transmittance of the films equals 80% in visible rang and the band gap is varied between 3.274 and 3.282 eV, when the solution flow rate increases from 50 to 150 ml/h.

The effect of the addition of nano-SiO 2 on the power losses in the manganese-zinc ferrites has been investigated by measuring the magnetic properties and observing the grain boundary structures. The powders of Mn 0.72Zn 0.21Fe 2.07O 4 composition were prepared by using a conventional ceramic powder processing technique. Toroidal cores were sintered at 1340°C for 4 h using a tube furnace with atmosphere controlled by using the equation for equilibrium oxygen partial pressure. The microstructure of grain boundary was observed by AES and SEM. It has been found that the grain boundaries resistivity and magnetic loss are greatly dependent upon the content of nano-SiO 2. There is an optimum content of nano-SiO 2 to produce uniform grain structure and low magnetic loss. The eddy current losses were reduced by the addition of nano-SiO 2. These losses are thought to originate from the additive effect of Si atoms, which are enriched in grain boundaries to form a high resistivity layer and prevent Ca and Nb atoms being incorporated with the spinel lattice.

The present work focuses on the effect of replacement of Fe3+ ions by the Mn3+ ions in cobalt zinc ferrites (Co0.6Zn0.4MnxFe2-xO4 (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) on the structural, magnetic, electrical and catalytic properties. Powder X-ray diffraction studies confirmed that all the samples possessed cubic spinel structure with Fd-3m space groups. The saturation magnetization was found to decrease with increase in Mn3+ ions concentration. The drift mobility of all compositions was found to decrease with increase in temperature which could be attributed to the semiconductor nature of nanoferrites. The photo-catalytic activity of all the nanoferrites was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange dye and it was observed that the degradation of methyl orange dye was enhanced with increase in Mn3+ ions concentration from 0.2 to 1.0. This might be due to the octahedral site preference and higher redox potential of manganese ion as compared those of iron.

We report the intercalation and characterization of para-amino salicylic acid (PASA) into zinc/aluminum-layered double hydroxides (ZLDHs) by two methods, direct and indirect, to form nanocomposites: PASA nanocomposite prepared by a direct method (PASA-D) and PASA nanocomposite prepared by an indirect method (PASA-I). Powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the PASA drugs were accommodated within the ZLDH interlayers. The anions of the drug were accommodated as an alternate monolayer (along the long-axis orientation) between ZLDH interlayers. Drug loading was estimated to be 22.8% and 16.6% for PASA-D and PASA-I, respectively. The in vitro release properties of the drug were investigated in physiological simulated phosphate-buffered saline solution of pH 7.4 and 4.8. The release followed the pseudo-second-order model for both nanocomposites. Cell viability (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] assays) was assessed against normal human lung fibroblast MRC-5 and 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells at 24, 48, and 72 hours. The results showed that the nanocomposite formulations did not possess any cytotoxicity, at least up to 72 hours. PMID:24255593

The synthesis of hybrid materials possessing zinc oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in core-shell polymer particles having poly(methyl methacrylate) core and chitosan shell (PMMA-CS/ZnO) was carried out via an emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization. The ZnO nanoparticles modified by 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TPMZnO) were first prepared before being charged to the polymerization system. The effects of polymerization time (from 2 h to 6 h) and the amount of TPMZnO added (0.018 g, 0.020 g, and 0.030 g) were studied. It was found that the polymerization time of 5 h yielded colloidally stable hybrid latex with% MMA conversion up to 90%. Moreover, the increase in the amount of TPMZnO resulted in a decrease in% MMA conversion from 90% to 80%. It was also found from TGA analysis that the amount of TPMZnO added affected the percentage of TPMZnO encapsulation. PMMA-CS/ZnO particles with the size ranging from 173 to 245 nm were observed by TEM. In addition, the PMMA-CS/ZnO hybrid latexes possessed high positive charges in the range of 40-51 mV. The electrochemical property of the electrodes fabricated from PMMA-CS/ZnO nanoparticles was illustrated by cyclic voltammetry.

Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) have proved to be successful tools for targeted genome manipulation in several organisms. Their main property is the induction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) at specific sites, which are further repaired through homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). However, for the appropriate integration of genes at specific chromosomal locations, proper sites for gene integration need to be identified. These regions, hereby named safe harbor loci, must be localized in non-coding regions and possess high gene expression. In the present study, three different ZFN constructs (pZFN1, pZFN2, pZFN3), harboring β-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter gene, were used to identify safe harbor loci on rice chromosomes. The constructs were delivered into IR64 rice by using an improved Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol, based on the use of immature embryos. Gene expression was measured by histochemical GUS activity and the flanking regions were determined through thermal-asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction (TAIL PCR). Following sequencing, 28 regions were identified as putative sites for safe integration, but only one was localized in a non-coding region and also possessed high GUS expression. These findings have significant applicability to create crops with new and valuable traits, since the site can be subsequently used to stably introduce one or more genes in a targeted manner. PMID:25018764

Uniform zinc pellets are formed for use in batteries having a stationary or moving slurry zinc particle electrode. The process involves the cathodic deposition of zinc in a finely divided morphology from battery reaction product onto a non-adhering electrode substrate. The mossy zinc is removed from the electrode substrate by the action of gravity, entrainment in a flowing electrolyte, or by mechanical action. The finely divided zinc particles are collected and pressed into pellets by a mechanical device such as an extruder, a roller and chopper, or a punch and die. The pure zinc pellets are returned to the zinc battery in a pumped slurry and have uniform size, density and reactivity. Applications include zinc-air fuel batteries, zinc-ferricyanide storage batteries, and zinc-nickel-oxide secondary batteries. 6 figs.

Uniform zinc pellets are formed for use in batteries having a stationary or moving slurry zinc particle electrode. The process involves the cathodic deposition of zinc in a finely divided morphology from battery reaction product onto a non-adhering electrode substrate. The mossy zinc is removed from the electrode substrate by the action of gravity, entrainment in a flowing electrolyte, or by mechanical action. The finely divided zinc particles are collected and pressed into pellets by a mechanical device such as an extruder, a roller and chopper, or a punch and die. The pure zinc pellets are returned to the zinc battery in a pumped slurry and have uniform size, density and reactivity. Applications include zinc-air fuel batteries, zinc-ferricyanide storage batteries, and zinc-nickel-oxide secondary batteries.

A study was conducted in young women to determine the effect of vitamin B-6 deficient diets on copper, iron and zinc metabolism. Young women were confined to a metabolic research unit for 84 and 98 days. They were fed a vitamin B-6 deficient formula diet initially, followed by food diet containing four increasing levels of vitamin B-6. Copper, iron and zinc absorption, retention and status were determined at intervals throughout the study. Absorption was determined using the stable isotopes {sup 65}Cu, {sup 54}Fe, and {sup 67}Zn. Status was based on serum copper and zinc, hemoglobin, hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume. Copper absorption averaged 18 {plus minus} 1% during vitamin B-6 depletion, significantly lower than 24 {plus minus} 1% during repletion, but serum copper was not affected and balance was positive. Iron absorption was not impaired significantly by vitamin B-6 deficient diets, but status declined during the depletion period. Zinc absorption averaged 40 {plus minus} 2% during depletion and 27 {plus minus} 2% during repletion. Zinc absorption and retention were significantly greater during vitamin B-6 depletion, but serum zinc declined suggesting the absorbed zinc was not available for utilization. The results suggest that vitamin B-6 depletion of young women may inhibit copper absorption, affect iron status and alter zinc metabolism. The effects of vitamin B-6 depletion differ markedly among these elements.

Volatile elements have a fundamental role in the evolution of planets. But how budgets of volatiles were set in planets, and the nature and extent of volatile-depletion of planetary bodies during the earliest stages of Solar System formation remain poorly understood. The Moon is considered to be volatile-depleted and so it has been predicted that volatile loss should have fractionated stable isotopes of moderately volatile elements. One such element, zinc, exhibits strong isotopic fractionation during volatilization in planetary rocks, but is hardly fractionated during terrestrial igneous processes, making it a powerful tracer of the volatile histories of planets. Here we present high-precision zinc isotopic and abundance data which show that lunar magmatic rocks are enriched in the heavy isotopes of zinc and have lower zinc concentrations than terrestrial or Martian igneous rocks. Conversely, Earth and Mars have broadly chondritic zinc isotopic compositions. We show that these variations represent large-scale evaporation of zinc, most probably in the aftermath of the Moon-forming event, rather than small-scale evaporation processes during volcanism. Our results therefore represent evidence for volatile depletion of the Moon through evaporation, and are consistent with a giant impact origin for the Earth and Moon.

In order to improve the biocompatibility and the corrosion resistance in the initial stage of implantation, a phosphate (CaZn2(PO4)2·2H2O) coating was obtained on the surface of pure iron by a chemical reaction method. The anti-corrosion property, the blood compatibility and the cell toxicity of the coated pure iron specimens were investigated. The coating was composed of some fine phosphate crystals and the surface of coating was flat and dense enough. The electrochemical data indicated that the corrosion resistance of the coated pure iron was improved with the increase of phosphating time. When the specimen was phosphated for 30min, the corrosion resistance (Rp) increased to 8006 Ω. Compared with that of the naked pure iron, the anti-hemolysis property and cell compatibility of the coated specimen was improved significantly, while the anti-coagulant property became slightly worse due to the existence of element calcium. It was thought that phosphating treatment might be an effective method to improve the biocompatibility of pure iron for biomedical application.

Electronic and optical properties of co-doped zinc oxide ZnO with silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al), in Zn1-2 x Si x Al x O (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.0625) original structure forms, are investigated by the first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT). The optical constants and dielectric functions are investigated with the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) by WIEN2k package. The complex dielectric functions, refractive index and band gap of the pure as well as doped and co-doped ZnO were investigated, which are in good agreement with the available experimental results for the undoped ZnO. Thus, the maximum optical transmittance of the co-doped ZnO of about 95 % was achieved; it is higher than that of pure ZnO. Thus, we showed for the Si-Al co-doped ZnO with x = 0.0315 that the optical transmittance can cover a larger range in the visible light region. In addition, an occurrence of important energy levels around Fermi levels was showed, which is mainly due to doping atoms that lead to an overlap between valence and conduction bands, and consequently to the significant conductor behavior of the Si-Al co-doped ZnO. The original Zn1-2 x Si x Al x O structure reveals promising optical and electronic properties, and it can be investigated as good candidates for practical uses as transparent and conducting electrodes in solar cell devices.

A new zinc complex, [Zn (9-AC)2] (1) (9-AC = 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid), was prepared via conventional electrochemical method in a fast and facile process and fully characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The nano structures of the same compound were successfully produced by a facile and environment-friendly sonoelectrochemical route at different current densities (0.5, 1.2, 1.8, 2.5 and 3.5 mA/cm(2)). The new nano-structure particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Thermal stability of single crystal and nano-size samples of the prepared compound was studied by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The comparison of the effect of current density without and with ultrasonic irradiation on particle size has been investigated in convectional electrochemical and sonoelectrochemical method respectively. The results showed that using ultrasonic irradiation with increasing the current density lead to decrease the particle sizes unlike conventional electrochemical method. In other words, when the current density increase from 0.5 to 3.5 mA/cm(2), in sonoelectrochemical method, the particle sizes decrease from 100 to 48 nm while, in convectional electrochemical method, the particle sizes increase from 400 to 1200 nm and possible explanation offered. Photoluminescence properties of the nano-structured and crystalline bulk of the prepared complex at room temperature in the solid state have been investigated in detail. The results indicate that the size of the complex particles has an important effect on their optical properties.

Nanostructured binary semiconducting metal oxides have received much attention in the last decade owing to their unique properties rendering them suitable for a wide range of applications. In the quest to further improve the physical and chemical properties, an interest in ternary complex oxides has become noticeable in recent times. Zinc stannate or zinc tin oxide (ZTO) is a class of ternary oxides that are known for their stable properties under extreme conditions, higher electron mobility compared to its binary counterparts and other interesting optical properties. The material is thus ideal for applications from solar cells and sensors to photocatalysts. Among the different methods of synthesizing ZTO nanostructures, the hydrothermal method is an attractive green process that is carried out at low temperatures. In this review, we summarize the conditions leading to the growth of different ZTO nanostructures using the hydrothermal method and delve into a few of its applications reported in the literature. PMID:27877377

Quantum-scale semiconductors embedded in an electrically-active matrix have the potential to improve photovoltaic (PV) device power conversion efficiencies by allowing the solar spectral absorption and photocarrier transport properties to be tuned through the control of short and long range structure. In the present work, the effects of phase assembly on quantum confinement effects and carrier transport were investigated in CdTe - ZnO nanocomposite thin films for use as a spectrally sensitized n-type heterojunction element. The nanocomposites were deposited via a dual-source, sequential radio-frequency (RF) sputter technique that offers the unique opportunity for in-situ control of the CdTe phase spatial distribution within the ZnO matrix. The manipulation of the spatial distribution of the CdTe nanophase allowed for variation in the electromagnetic coupling interactions between semiconductor domains and accompanying changes in the effective carrier confinement volume and associated spectral absorption properties. Deposition conditions favoring CdTe connectivity had a red shift in absorption energy onset in comparison to phase assemblies with a more isolated CdTe phase. While manipulating the absorption properties is of significant interest, the electronic behavior of the nanocomposite must also be considered. The continuity of both the matrix and the CdTe influenced the mobility pathways for carriers generated within their respective phases. Photoconductivity of the nanocomposite, dependent upon the combined influences of nanostructure-mediated optical absorption and carrier transport path, increased with an increased semiconductor nanoparticle number density along the applied field direction. Mobility of the carriers in the nanocomposite was further mediated by the interface between the ZnO and CdTe nanophases which acts as a source of carrier scattering centers. These effects were influenced by low temperature annealing of the nanocomposite which served to

Bis-salicylaldiminato Schiff base ligands and their Zn(II) complexes derived from 2,3-Diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) were synthesized. Their molecular structures, photophysical properties and mesogenic behaviors were investigated. The ligands and their Zn(II) complexes were characterized by using elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR and molar conductivity measurements. Photophysical properties of ligands and their Zn(II) complexes were investigated in different polar solvents by using UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopic studies. Ligands emit green light whereas complexes emit orange light upon irradiation with UV-visible light. The liquid crystalline phases of ligands and their Zn(II) complexes were characterized by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The ligand having longer 4-n-octadecyloxy chain (n = 18) displays columnar phase whereas the lower homologues (n = 16, 12) did not show mesophase. The Zn(II) complexes having 4-n-octadecyloxy end chain display smectic B like phase whereas other lower homologues are non mesogenic in nature. The thermal stability of the compounds were studied by using thermo gravimetric analysis. The density functional theory was carried out to obtain the stable molecular conformation, dipole moment, molecular orbitals and polarizability of the ligands and their Zn(II) complexes.

Here, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters of the cluster 9 family are ubiquitous among bacteria and essential for acquiring Zn2+ and Mn2+ from the environment or, in the case of pathogens, from the host. These rely on a substrate-binding protein (SBP) to coordinate the relevant metal with high affinity and specificity and subsequently release it to a membrane permease for translocation into the cytoplasm. Although a number of cluster 9 SBP structures have been determined, the structural attributes conferring Zn2+ or Mn2+ specificity remain ambiguous. Here we describe the gene expression profile, in vitro metal binding properties, and crystal structure ofmore » a new cluster 9 SBP from Paracoccus denitrificans we have called AztC. Although all of our results strongly indicate Zn2+ over Mn2+ specificity, the Zn2+ ion is coordinated by a conserved Asp residue only observed to date as a metal ligand in Mn2+-specific SBPs. The unusual sequence properties of this protein are shared among close homologues, including members from the human pathogens Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter aerogenes, and would seem to suggest a subclass of Zn2+-specific transporters among the cluster 9 family. In any case, the unusual coordination environment of AztC expands the already considerable range of those available to Zn2+-specific SBPs and highlights the presence of a His-rich loop as the most reliable indicator of Zn2+ specificity.« less

For uranium to be useful in most fission nuclear reactors, it must be enriched (i.e. the concentration of the fissile isotope 235U must be increased). Therefore, depleted uranium (DU)-uranium which has less than naturally occurring concentrations of 235U-is a co-product of the enrichment process. Four to six tons of DU exist for every ton of fresh light water reactor fuel. There were 407,006 MgU 407,000 metric tons (t) of DU stored on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites as of July 1993. If this DU were to be declared surplus, converted to a stable oxide form, and emplaced in a near surface disposal facility, the costs are estimated to be several billion dollars. However, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has stated that near surface disposal of large quantities of DU tails is not appropriate. Thus, there is the possibility that disposition via disposal will be in a deep geological repository. One alternative that may significantly reduce the cost of DU disposition is to use it beneficially. In fact, DOE has begun the Beneficial Uses of DU Project to identify large scale uses of DU and to encourage its reuse. Several beneficial uses, many of which involve applications in the repository per se or in managing the wastes to go into the repository, are discussed in this report.

Multiferroic composite structures, i.e., composites of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials, can be envisioned to achieve the goal of strong room-temperature ME coupling for real practical device applications. Magnetic materials with high magnetostriction, high Néel temperature (TN), high resistivity and large magnetization are required to observe high ME coupling in composite structures. In continuation of our investigations on suitable magnetic candidates for multiferroic composite structures, we have studied the crystal structure, dielectric, transport, and magnetic properties of Co0.65Zn0.35Fe2O4 (CZFO). Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns confirms the phase purity with a cubic crystal structure with the (Fd3[combining macron]m) space group; however, we have found a surprisingly large magneto-dielectric anomaly at the Néel temperature, unexpected for a cubic structure. The presence of mixed valences of Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) cations is probed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which supports the catonic ordering-mediated large dielectric response. Large dielectric permittivity dispersion with a broad anomaly is observed in the vicinity of the magnetic phase transition temperature (TN) of CZFO suggesting a strong correlation between dielectric and magnetic properties. The evidence of strong spin-polaron coupling has been established from temperature dependent dielectric, ac conductivity and magnetization studies. The ferrimagnetic-paramagnetic phase transition of CZFO has been found at ∼640 K, which is well above room temperature. CZFO exhibits low loss tangent, a high dielectric constant, large magnetization with soft magnetic behavior and magnetodielectric coupling above room temperature, elucidating the possible potential candidates for multiferroic composite structures as well as for multifunctional and spintronics device applications.

Research highlights: {yields} Cobalt-zinc ferrite was prepared by combustion method. {yields} Properties of the sample were characterized by several techniques. {yields} Curie temperature was determined to be 350 {sup o}C. -- Abstract: Cobalt-zinc ferrite (Co{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) was prepared by combustion method, using cobalt, zinc and iron nitrates. The crystallinity of the as-burnt powder was developed by annealing at 700 {sup o}C. Crystalline phase was investigated by XRD. Using Williamson-Hall method, the average crystallite sizes for nanoparticles were determined to be about 27 nm before and 37 nm after annealing, and residual stresses for annealed particles were omitted. The morphology of the annealed sample was investigated by TEM and the mean particle size was determined to be about 30 nm. The final stoichiometry of the sample after annealing showed good agreement with the initial stoichiometry using atomic absorption spectrometry. Magnetic properties of the annealed sample such as saturation magnetization, remanence magnetization, and coercivity measured at room temperature were 70 emu/g, 14 emu/g, and 270 Oe, respectively. The Curie temperature of the sample was determined to be 350 {sup o}C using AC-susceptibility technique.

Depleted uranium (DU) is an emerging environmental pollutant that is introduced into the environment primarily by military activity. While depleted uranium is less radioactive than natural uranium, it still retains all the chemical toxicity associated with the original element. In large doses the kidney is the target organ for the acute chemical toxicity of this metal, producing potentially lethal tubular necrosis. In contrast, chronic low dose exposure to depleted uranium may not produce a clear and defined set of symptoms. Chronic low-dose, or subacute, exposure to depleted uranium alters the appearance of milestones in developing organisms. Adult animals that were exposed to depleted uranium during development display persistent alterations in behavior, even after cessation of depleted uranium exposure. Adult animals exposed to depleted uranium demonstrate altered behaviors and a variety of alterations to brain chemistry. Despite its reduced level of radioactivity evidence continues to accumulate that depleted uranium, if ingested, may pose a radiologic hazard. The current state of knowledge concerning DU is discussed. PMID:20195447

Implicit skill learning occurs incidentally and without conscious awareness of what is learned. However, the rate and effectiveness of learning may still be affected by decreased availability of central processing resources. Dual-task experiments have generally found impairments in implicit learning, however, these studies have also shown that certain characteristics of the secondary task (e.g., timing) can complicate the interpretation of these results. To avoid this problem, the current experiments used a novel method to impose resource constraints prior to engaging in skill learning. Ego depletion theory states that humans possess a limited store of cognitive resources that, when depleted, results in deficits in self-regulation and cognitive control. In a first experiment, we used a standard ego depletion manipulation prior to performance of the Serial Interception Sequence Learning (SISL) task. Depleted participants exhibited poorer test performance than did non-depleted controls, indicating that reducing available executive resources may adversely affect implicit sequence learning, expression of sequence knowledge, or both. In a second experiment, depletion was administered either prior to or after training. Participants who reported higher levels of depletion before or after training again showed less sequence-specific knowledge on the post-training assessment. However, the results did not allow for clear separation of ego depletion effects on learning versus subsequent sequence-specific performance. These results indicate that performance on an implicitly learned sequence can be impaired by a reduction in executive resources, in spite of learning taking place outside of awareness and without conscious intent.

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationships between the microstructure, mechanical properties and failure mechanisms which control the performance of TiB2 particle reinforced Zn-8 wt.% Al (ZA-8) composites. Unreinforced ZA-8 and four composite heats with nominal particle contents of 5, 10, 20 and 30 vol.% were prepared using stir casting and permanent mold casting techniques. Tensile, compression, Charpy impact and short bar chevron-notch fracture toughness tests were conducted at room temperature. The microstructure and fracture surfaces of the specimens were characterized using optical, scanning electron, transmission electron and focused ion beam microscopy. These experimental results were compared with relevant MMC models and with published data on Zn-based composites. The TiB2/ZA-8 composites had a homogeneous distribution of particles in a matrix similar to unreinforced ZA-8. The matrix grain size decreased as the TiB2 content increased. No interfacial reaction products were detected. A good correlation was obtained between the measured composite stiffness and the values predicted using an Eshelby model. The yield strength and work hardening rate of TiB2/ZA-8 were only marginally higher than those of unreinforced ZA-8. The strength properties did not increase with the particle content as predicted by the Eshelby model. The premature activation of relaxation processes limited the extent to which particle reinforcement improved the strength of the ZA-8 matrix. Temperature-activated relaxation processes such as diffusion and dislocation motion can occur readily in ZA-8 at room temperature, which corresponds to 0.44 TM. Particle reinforcement of the ZA-8 alloy produced a degradation of the toughness which was sensitive to the loading rate. The Charpy energy of TiB 2/ZA-8 was up to 85% smaller than that of ZA-8, while the corresponding loss in fracture toughness was only 15%. The moderate fracture toughness decrease was explained by the

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with the hydrotalcite-type structure containing Co and Al, or Zn, Co and Al in the brucite-like layers and carbonate in the interlayer have been prepared by coprecipitation. The Zn/Co molar ratio was kept to 1 in all samples, while the divalent/trivalent molar ratio was varied from 2/1 to 1/2. The samples have been characterised by element chemical analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis, temperature-programmed reduction and FT-IR spectroscopy. A single hydrotalcite-like phase is formed for samples with molar ratio 2/1, which crystallinity decreases as the Al content is increased, developing small amounts of diaspore and dawsonite and probably an additional amorphous phase. Calcination at 1200 deg. C in air led to formation of spinels; a small amount of NaAlO{sub 2} was observed in the Al-rich samples, which was removed by washing. The nature of the spinels formed (containing Co{sup II}, Co{sup III}, Al{sup III} and Zn{sup II}) strongly depends on the cations molar ratio in the starting materials and the calcination treatment, leading to a partial oxidation of Co{sup II} species to Co{sup III} ones. Colour properties (L*a*b*) of the original and calcined solids have been measured. While the original samples show a pink colour (lighter for the series containing Zn), the calcined Co,Al samples show a dark blue colour and the Zn,Co,Al ones a green colour. Changes due to the different molar ratios within a given calcined series are less evident than between samples with the same composition in different series. These calcined materials could be usable as ceramic pigments. - Abstract: Mixed oxides from layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with the hydrotalcite-type structure containing Co and Al or Zn, Co and Al in the brucite-like layers are potential candidates for ceramic pigments with tunable colour properties. Display Omitted

Solar ultraviolet radiation creates an ozone layer in the atmosphere which in turn completely absorbs the most energetic fraction of this radiation. This process both warms the air, creating the stratosphere between 15 and 50 km altitude, and protects the biological activities at the Earth's surface from this damaging radiation. In the last half-century, the chemical mechanisms operating within the ozone layer have been shown to include very efficient catalytic chain reactions involving the chemical species HO, HO2, NO, NO2, Cl and ClO. The NOX and ClOX chains involve the emission at Earth's surface of stable molecules in very low concentration (N2O, CCl2F2, CCl3F, etc.) which wander in the atmosphere for as long as a century before absorbing ultraviolet radiation and decomposing to create NO and Cl in the middle of the stratospheric ozone layer. The growing emissions of synthetic chlorofluorocarbon molecules cause a significant diminution in the ozone content of the stratosphere, with the result that more solar ultraviolet-B radiation (290–320 nm wavelength) reaches the surface. This ozone loss occurs in the temperate zone latitudes in all seasons, and especially drastically since the early 1980s in the south polar springtime—the ‘Antarctic ozone hole’. The chemical reactions causing this ozone depletion are primarily based on atomic Cl and ClO, the product of its reaction with ozone. The further manufacture of chlorofluorocarbons has been banned by the 1992 revisions of the 1987 Montreal Protocol of the United Nations. Atmospheric measurements have confirmed that the Protocol has been very successful in reducing further emissions of these molecules. Recovery of the stratosphere to the ozone conditions of the 1950s will occur slowly over the rest of the twenty-first century because of the long lifetime of the precursor molecules. PMID:16627294

Solar ultraviolet radiation creates an ozone layer in the atmosphere which in turn completely absorbs the most energetic fraction of this radiation. This process both warms the air, creating the stratosphere between 15 and 50 km altitude, and protects the biological activities at the Earth's surface from this damaging radiation. In the last half-century, the chemical mechanisms operating within the ozone layer have been shown to include very efficient catalytic chain reactions involving the chemical species HO, HO2, NO, NO2, Cl and ClO. The NOX and ClOX chains involve the emission at Earth's surface of stable molecules in very low concentration (N2O, CCl2F2, CCl3F, etc.) which wander in the atmosphere for as long as a century before absorbing ultraviolet radiation and decomposing to create NO and Cl in the middle of the stratospheric ozone layer. The growing emissions of synthetic chlorofluorocarbon molecules cause a significant diminution in the ozone content of the stratosphere, with the result that more solar ultraviolet-B radiation (290-320 nm wavelength) reaches the surface. This ozone loss occurs in the temperate zone latitudes in all seasons, and especially drastically since the early 1980s in the south polar springtime-the 'Antarctic ozone hole'. The chemical reactions causing this ozone depletion are primarily based on atomic Cl and ClO, the product of its reaction with ozone. The further manufacture of chlorofluorocarbons has been banned by the 1992 revisions of the 1987 Montreal Protocol of the United Nations. Atmospheric measurements have confirmed that the Protocol has been very successful in reducing further emissions of these molecules. Recovery of the stratosphere to the ozone conditions of the 1950s will occur slowly over the rest of the twenty-first century because of the long lifetime of the precursor molecules.

Two new zinc(II) metal-organic compounds of [Zn(ADC)(bimh)]n (1) and [Zn(ADA)(bimh)]n (2) (H2ADC = 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylic acid, H2ADA = 1,3-adamantanediacetic acid, bimh = 1,6-bis(2-methyl-imidazole-1-yl)-hexane, have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. In compound 1, the zinc(II) ions are bridged by ADC and bimh ligands to form a 1D looped chain. In compound 2, the ADA molecules alternately bridge Zn(II) atoms to form infinite chains, and then the 1D chain is connected through the bimh ligand resulting in an undulating infinite two-dimensional (2D) polymeric network. Additionally, TG analysis, XRPD and fluorescent properties for compounds 1 and 2 are also measured and discussed.

From a new dicarboxylate ligand, 9H-carbazole-2,7-dicarboxylic acid (2,7-H2CDC), three Zn(II) metal-organic frameworks were synthesized in the absence or presence of ditopic N-donor ligands. They are formulated as [Zn5(μ3-OH)2(2,7-CDC)4(DEF)2] (1) (DEF=N,N-diethylformamide), [Zn2(2,7-CDC)2(DABCO)(H2O)]·5DMF·H2O (2) (DABCO=1-diaza-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane, DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide), and [Zn2(2,7-CDC)2(bpea)]·3DMA·2 H2O (3) (bpea=1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylane, DMA=N,N-dimethylacetamide). Compounds 1 and 3 display the 3D pcu frameworks. In 1 the unusual pentanuclear [Zn5(μ3-OH)2(COO)8] secondary building units (SBUs) are linked by dicarboxylate ligands. Differently, in 3 the well-known paddle-wheel [Zn2(COO)4] SBUs are linked by dicarboxylate and dipyridyl ligands. Compound 2 shows the rare self-catenated 3D alb-3,6-C2/c net topology based on the dinuclear paddle-wheel SBU and a mononuclear unit. The stability and fluorescent properties of the compounds have been studied.

Nanocrystalline Co2+ substituted Zn0.35Ni0.60-xCoxFe2.05O4 (Where x=0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) system have been synthesized by citrate-nitrate combustion route. X-ray diffraction study shows the formation of single phase cubic spinel structure without any impurity phases. Morphological observation shows agglomerated grains with different shapes and sizes which is the typical characteristics of magnetic nanoparticles prepared by combustion route. The saturation magnetization of cobalt substituted Ni-Zn ferrites is found to be higher than that of pure Ni-Zn ferrite. The coercivity and retentivity of cobalt substituted Ni-Zn ferrite increases with the increasing cobalt content. Initial permeability and loss factor have been studied as the function of composition and frequency. The real (μ‧) and imaginary (μ‧‧) part of initial permeability of cobalt substituted Ni-Zn ferrites decreases while its loss factor increases with the increasing cobalt content. In the lower frequency region the imaginary part of initial permeability (μ‧‧) of all samples is found to be decreasing rapidly with increasing frequency. The microwave absorption properties of cobalt substituted Ni-Zn ferrites were also investigated; all samples exhibit the absorption in the frequency range 2.3-2.5 GHz. Thus, the prepared materials can be used as a rubber composite microwave absorber and may be useful in RADAR application.

Mn substituted ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by the auto-combustion method using different fuel ratios of 50%, 75% and 100%.The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX). Also, the dielectric behaviors of the samples were investigated for different annealing temperatures. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the annealed samples resulted in the formation of crystalline powder and the presence of α-Fe2O3 as a secondary phase. The average crystallite sizes of the samples are from ~12 to 60 nm. The external morphology and microstructure of the samples are tested by SEM and TEM. The effect of annealing temperature and particle size on dielectric properties such as dielectric constant (έ) and dielectric loss (D) of the spinel MnxZn1-xFe2O4 nanoparticles was measured using impedance analyzer in the frequency range 100 kHz-5 MHz.

CuInZnS quantum dots (CIZS QDs) were prepared via reflux method in aqueous solution using CuCl2·2H2O, InCl3·4H2O, Zn(OAc)2·2H2O and Na2S·9H2O as raw materials, l-glutathione (GSH) and sodiumcitrate (SC) as stabilizing agents, respectively. The effects of off-stoichiometry (Cu/In and Zn/Cu ratios) on the crystal structure and morphology were systematically studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and the relative optical properties were also investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectra. The as-prepared water-dispersible CIZS QDs were around 3-4nm and possessed the tetragonal chalcopyrite crystal structure. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of QDs was significantly increased with decreasing the Cu/In ratio. Compared with the Cu/In ratio variation, changing Zn/Cu ratio was an effective strategy to realize a more uniform irradiation and a wide range of emission wavelength tunability.

First-principle calculations were performed to investigate the structural, phase stability, electronic, elastic properties and hardness of monoclinic structure IrN2 (m-IrN2), orthorhombic structure IrN2 (o-IrN2) and zinc blende structure IrN (ZB IrN). The results show us that only m-IrN2 is both thermodynamic and dynamic stability. The calculated band structure and density of states (DOS) curves indicate that o-IrN2 and ZB Ir-N compounds we calculated have metallic behavior while m-IrN2 has a small band gap of 0.3 eV, and exist a common hybridization between Ir-5d and N-2p states, which forming covalent bonding between Ir and N atoms. The difference charge density reveals the electron transfer from Ir atom to N atom for three Ir-N compounds, which forming strong directional covalent bonds. Notable, a strong N-N bond appeared in m-IrN2 and o-IrN2. The ratio of bulk to shear modulus (B/G) indicate that three Ir-N compounds we calculated are ductile, and ZB IrN possesses a better ductility than two types IrN2. m-IrN2 has highest Debye temperature (736 K), illustrating it possesses strongest covalent bonding. The hardness of three Ir-N compounds were also calculated, and the results reveal that m-IrN2 (18.23 GPa) and o-IrN2 (18.02 GPa) are ultraincompressible while ZB IrN has a negative value, which may be attributed to phase transition at ca. 1.98 GPa.

Nanomaterials (NM) exhibit novel physicochemical properties that determine their interaction with biological substrates and processes. Three metal oxides nanoparticles that are currently being produced in high tonnage, TiO2, ZnO and CeO2, were synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis process and compared in a mechanistic study to elucidate the physicochemical characteristics that determine cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and toxic effects based on a test paradigm that was originally developed for oxidative stress and cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 and BEAS-2B cell lines. ZnO induced toxicity in both cells, leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidant injury, excitation of inflammation and cell death. Using ICP-MS and fluorescent-labeled ZnO, it is found that ZnO dissolution could happen in culture medium and endosomes. Non-dissolved ZnO nanoparticles enter caveolae in BEAS-2B, but enter lysosomes in RAW 264.7 cells in which smaller particle remnants dissolve. In contrast, fluorescent-labeled CeO2 nanoparticles were taken up intact into caveolin-1 and LAMP-1 positive endosomal compartments, respectively, in BEAS-2B and RAW 264.7 cells, without inflammation or cytotoxicity. Instead, CeO2 suppressed ROS production and induced cellular resistance to an exogenous source of oxidative stress. Fluorescent-labeled TiO2 was processed by the same uptake pathways as CeO2 but did not elicit any adverse or protective effects. These results demonstrate that metal oxide nanoparticles induce a range of biological responses that vary from cytotoxic to cytoprotective and can only be properly understood by using a tiered test strategy such as we developed for oxidative stress and adapted to study other aspects of nanoparticle toxicity. PMID:19206459

Novel meso- or beta-derivatized porphyrins with a carboxyl group have been designed and synthesized for use as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The position and nature of a bridge connecting the porphyrin ring and carboxylic acid group show significant influences on the spectral, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties of these sensitizers. Absorption spectra of porphyrins with a phenylethynyl bridge show that both Soret and Q bands are red-shifted with respect to those of porphyrin 6. This phenomenon is more pronounced for porphyrins 3 and 4, which have a pi-conjugated electron-donating group at the meso position opposite the anchoring group. Upon introduction of an ethynylene group at the meso position, the potential at the first oxidation alters only slightly whereas that for the first reduction is significantly shifted to the positive, thus indicating a decreased HOMO-LUMO gap. Quantum-chemical (DFT) results support the spectroelectrochemical data for a delocalization of charge between the porphyrin ring and the amino group in the first oxidative state of diarylamino-substituted porphyrin 5, which exhibits the best photovoltaic performance among all the porphyrins under investigation. From a comparison of the cell performance based on the same TiO(2) films, the devices made of porphyrin 5 coadsorbed with chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) on TiO(2) in ratios [5]/[CDCA] = 1:1 and 1:2 have efficiencies of power conversion similar to that of an N3-based DSSC, which makes this green dye a promising candidate for colorful DSSC applications.

The total metal concentrations in soil samples from polluted area (roadside soils) ranged from 13.87 to 195.76 mg/kg for Cu; 13.56-310.17 mg/kg for Pb and 18.43-894.11 mg/kg for Zn and they were, respectively about 5, 2 and 13 times above the corresponding values in soil samples from country area. The mean values of EDTA-extractable concentrations in soil samples at unpolluted sites were: 2.47 mg/kg for Cu, 6.33 mg/kg for Pb and 4.94 mg/kg for Zn. The highest concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in grass were measured in soils from polluted area. Higher values of proportions of EDTA-extractable metals (24% for Cu, 40% for Pb and 38% for Zn) indicate that anthropogenic metals were more mobile and bioavailable than the same metals in soils from unpolluted area (20, 16 and 20% for Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively). The availability of Cu, Pb and Zn are affected by soil properties such as pH, organic matter content and cation exchange capacity. Correlation between the EDTA-extractable forms concentrations of metals and the total concentration in the various soils was observed. The coefficients of determination (R(2)) varied between 0.809 for Cu; 0,709 for Pb and 0.930 for Zn in polluted soils and they are higher than corresponding values in unpolluted soils.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with the hydrotalcite-type structure containing Co and Al, or Zn, Co and Al in the brucite-like layers and carbonate in the interlayer have been prepared by coprecipitation. The Zn/Co molar ratio was kept to 1 in all samples, while the divalent/trivalent molar ratio was varied from 2/1 to 1/2. The samples have been characterised by element chemical analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis, temperature-programmed reduction and FT-IR spectroscopy. A single hydrotalcite-like phase is formed for samples with molar ratio 2/1, which crystallinity decreases as the Al content is increased, developing small amounts of diaspore and dawsonite and probably an additional amorphous phase. Calcination at 1200 °C in air led to formation of spinels; a small amount of NaAlO 2 was observed in the Al-rich samples, which was removed by washing. The nature of the spinels formed (containing Co II, Co III, Al III and Zn II) strongly depends on the cations molar ratio in the starting materials and the calcination treatment, leading to a partial oxidation of Co II species to Co III ones. Colour properties ( L* a* b*) of the original and calcined solids have been measured. While the original samples show a pink colour (lighter for the series containing Zn), the calcined Co,Al samples show a dark blue colour and the Zn,Co,Al ones a green colour. Changes due to the different molar ratios within a given calcined series are less evident than between samples with the same composition in different series. These calcined materials could be usable as ceramic pigments.

Layered organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposite material was synthesised using 4-chlorophenoxyacetate (4CPA) as guest anion intercalated into the Zn-Al layered double hydroxide inorganic host by direct co-precipitation method at pH = 7.5 and Zn to Al molar ratio of 4. Both PXRD and FTIR results confirmed that the 4CPA was successfully intercalated into the Zn-AI-LDH interlayer. As a result, a well-ordered nanolayered organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposite, with the expansion of the basal spacing from 8.9 angstroms in the layered double hydroxide to 20.1 angstroms in the resulting nanocomposite was observed. The FTIR spectrum of the nanocomposite (ZAC) showed that it composed spectral features of Zn-AI-LDH (ZAL) and 4CPA. The nanocomposites synthesized in this work are of mesoporous-type containing 39.8% (w/w) of 4CPA with mole fraction of Al3+ in the inorganic brucite-like layers (xAI) of 0.224. The release studies showed a rapid release of the 4CPA for the first 600 min, and more sustained thereafter. The total amount of 4CPA released from the nanocomposite interlayer into the aqueous solution were 21%, 66%, and 72% in 0.0001, 0.00025, and 0.0005 M sodium carbonate, respectively. In distilled water, about 75, 35, and 57% of 4CPA could be released in 1000 min, when the pH of the release media was set at 3, 6.25, and 12, respectively. In comparison with a structurally similar organic moiety with one more chlorine atom at the 2-position of the aromatic ring, namely 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (24D), the 4CPA showed a slower release rate. The slightly bulkier organic moiety of 24D together with the presence of chlorine atom at the 2-position presumably had contributed to its higher release rate, and it seems that these factors may be exploited for tuning the release rate of intercalated guest anions with similar properties. This study suggests that layered double hydroxide can be used as a carrier for an active agent and the chemical structure of the intercalated moiety

Zinc supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence and prevalence of diarrhea; however, its anti-diarrheal effect remains only partially understood. There is now growing evidence that zinc can have pathogen-specific protective effects. Giardiasis is a common yet neglected cause of acute-chronic diarrheal illness worldwide which causes disturbances in zinc metabolism of infected children, representing a risk factor for zinc deficiency. How zinc metabolism is compromised by Giardia is not well understood; zinc status could be altered by intestinal malabsorption, organ redistribution or host-pathogen competition. The potential metal-binding properties of Giardia suggest unusual ways that the parasite may interact with its host. Zinc supplementation was recently found to reduce the rate of diarrhea caused by Giardia in children and to upregulate humoral immune response in Giardia-infected mice; in vitro and in vivo, zinc-salts enhanced the activity of bacitracin in a zinc-dose-dependent way, and this was not due to zinc toxicity. These findings reflect biological effect of zinc that may impact significantly public health in endemic areas of infection. In this paper, we shall explore one direction of this complex interaction, discussing recent information regarding zinc status and its possible contribution to the outcome of the encounter between the host and Giardia.

Zinc supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence and prevalence of diarrhea; however, its anti-diarrheal effect remains only partially understood. There is now growing evidence that zinc can have pathogen-specific protective effects. Giardiasis is a common yet neglected cause of acute-chronic diarrheal illness worldwide which causes disturbances in zinc metabolism of infected children, representing a risk factor for zinc deficiency. How zinc metabolism is compromised by Giardia is not well understood; zinc status could be altered by intestinal malabsorption, organ redistribution or host-pathogen competition. The potential metal-binding properties of Giardia suggest unusual ways that the parasite may interact with its host. Zinc supplementation was recently found to reduce the rate of diarrhea caused by Giardia in children and to upregulate humoral immune response in Giardia-infected mice; in vitro and in vivo, zinc-salts enhanced the activity of bacitracin in a zinc-dose-dependent way, and this was not due to zinc toxicity. These findings reflect biological effect of zinc that may impact significantly public health in endemic areas of infection. In this paper, we shall explore one direction of this complex interaction, discussing recent information regarding zinc status and its possible contribution to the outcome of the encounter between the host and Giardia. PMID:26046395

The focal plane of the PAU camera is composed of eighteen 2K x 4K CCDs. These devices, plus four spares, were provided by the Japanese company Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. with type no. S10892-04(X). These detectors are 200 μm thick fully depleted and back illuminated with an n-type silicon base. They have been built with a specific coating to be sensitive in the range from 300 to 1,100 nm. Their square pixel size is 15 μm. The read-out system consists of a Monsoon controller (NOAO) and the panVIEW software package. The deafualt CCD read-out speed is 133 kpixel/s. This is the value used in the calibration process. Before installing these devices in the camera focal plane, they were characterized using the facilities of the ICE (CSIC- IEEC) and IFAE in the UAB Campus in Bellaterra (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain). The basic tests performed for all CCDs were to obtain the photon transfer curve (PTC), the charge transfer efficiency (CTE) using X-rays and the EPER method, linearity, read-out noise, dark current, persistence, cosmetics and quantum efficiency. The X-rays images were also used for the analysis of the charge diffusion for different substrate voltages (VSUB). Regarding the cosmetics, and in addition to white and dark pixels, some patterns were also found. The first one, which appears in all devices, is the presence of half circles in the external edges. The origin of this pattern can be related to the assembly process. A second one appears in the dark images, and shows bright arcs connecting corners along the vertical axis of the CCD. This feature appears in all CCDs exactly in the same position so our guess is that the pattern is due to electrical fields. Finally, and just in two devices, there is a spot with wavelength dependence whose origin could be the result of a defectous coating process.

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Natural Resources § 1.611-1 Allowance of deduction for depletion. (a) Depletion of mines, oil and gas wells, other natural deposits, and timber—(1) In general... of the property. In the case of other exhaustible natural resources the allowance for depletion...

... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Natural Resources § 1.611-1 Allowance of deduction for depletion. (a) Depletion of mines, oil and gas wells, other natural deposits, and timber—(1) In general... of the property. In the case of other exhaustible natural resources the allowance for depletion...

Zinc oxide is an ingredient in many products. Some of these are certain creams and ointments used ... prevent or treat minor skin burns and irritation. Zinc oxide overdose occurs when someone eats one of ...

... sprays such as Polysporin Spray and Neosporin Prescription antibiotic eye drops and ointments such as Neosporin Ophthalmic Bacitracin zinc may also be added to animal food. Other products may also contain bacitracin zinc.

The bottomside equatorial ionosphere in the afternoon and evening sector frequently evolves rapidly from smoothly stratified to violently unstable with large wedges of depleted plasma growing through to the topside on timescales of a few tens of minutes. These depletions have numerous practical impacts on radio propagation, including amplitude scintillation, field-aligned irregularity scatter, HF blackouts, and long-distance transequatorial propagation at frequencies above the MUF. Practical impacts notwithstanding, the pathways and conditions under which depletions form remain a topic of vigorous inquiry some 80 years after their first report. Structuring of the pre-sunset ionosphere---morphology of the equatorial anomalies and long-wavelength undulations of the isodensity contours on the bottomside---are likely to hold some clues to conditions that are conducive to depletion formation. The Conjugate Depletion Experiment is an upcoming transequatorial forward-scatter HF/VHF experiment to investigate pre-sunset undulations and their connection with depletion formation. We will present initial results from the Conjugate Depletion Experiment, as well as a companion analysis of a massive HF propagation data set.

This review is a current summary of the role that both zinc deficiency and zinc supplementation can play in the etiology and therapy of a wide range of gastrointestinal diseases. The recent literature describing zinc action on gastrointestinal epithelial tight junctions and epithelial barrier function is described. Zinc enhancement of gastrointestinal epithelial barrier function may figure prominently in its potential therapeutic action in several gastrointestinal diseases. PMID:25400994

Of the nine biological trace elements, zinc, copper and selenium are important in reproduction in males and females. Zinc content is high in the adult testis, and the prostate has a higher concentration of zinc than any other organ of the body. Zinc deficiency first impairs angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity, and this in turn leads to depletion of testosterone and inhibition of spermatogenesis. Defects in spermatozoa are frequently observed in the zinc-deficient rat. Zinc is thought to help to extend the functional life span of the ejaculated spermatozoa. Zinc deficiency in the female can lead to such problems as impaired synthesis/secretion of (FSH) and (LH), abnormal ovarian development, disruption of the estrous cycle, frequent abortion, a prolonged gestation period, teratogenicity, stillbirths, difficulty in parturition, pre-eclampsia, toxemia and low birth weights of infants. The level of testosterone in the male has been suggested to play a role in the severity of copper deficiency. Copper-deficient female rats are protected against mortality due to copper deficiency, and the protection has been suggested to be provided by estrogens, since estrogens alter the subcellular distribution of copper in the liver and increase plasma copper levels by inducing ceruloplasmin synthesis. The selenium content of male gonads increases during pubertal maturation. Selenium is localized in the mitochondrial capsule protein (MCP) of the midpiece. Maximal incorporation in MCP occurs at steps 7 and 12 of spermatogenesis and uptake decreases by step 15. Selenium deficiency in females results in infertility, abortions and retention of the placenta. The newborns from a selenium-deficient mother suffer from muscular weakness, but the concentration of selenium during pregnancy does not have any effect on the weight of the baby or length of pregnancy. The selenium requirements of a pregnant and lactating mother are increased as a result of selenium transport to the fetus via

The optical and electronic properties of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films on a glass substrate are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Optical studies with coupling in the Kretschmann configuration reveal an angle-dependent plasma frequency in the mid-IR for p-polarized radiation, suggestive of the detection of a Drude plasma frequency. These studies are complemented by oxygen depletion density functional theory studies for the calculation of the charge carrier concentration and plasma frequency for bulk AZO. In addition, we report on the optical and physical properties of thin film adlayers of n-hexadecanethiol (HDT) and n-octadecanethiol (ODT) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on AZO surfaces using reflectance FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Our characterization of the SAM deposition onto the AZO thin film reveals a range of possible applications for this conducting metal oxide.

In mammalian auditory systems, the spiking characteristics of each primary afferent (type I auditory-nerve fiber; ANF) are mainly determined by a single ribbon synapse in a single receptor cell (inner hair cell; IHC). ANF spike trains therefore provide a window into the operation of these synapses and cells. It was demonstrated previously (Heil et al., 2007) that the distribution of interspike intervals (ISIs) of cat ANFs during spontaneous activity can be modeled as resulting from refractoriness operating on a non-Poisson stochastic point process of excitation (transmitter release events from the IHC). Here, we investigate nonrenewal properties of these cat-ANF spontaneous spike trains, manifest as negative serial ISI correlations and reduced spike-count variability over short timescales. A previously discussed excitatory process, the constrained failure of events from a homogeneous Poisson point process, can account for these properties, but does not offer a parsimonious explanation for certain trends in the data. We then investigate a three-parameter model of vesicle-pool depletion and replenishment and find that it accounts for all experimental observations, including the ISI distributions, with only the release probability varying between spike trains. The maximum number of units (single vesicles or groups of simultaneously released vesicles) in the readily releasable pool and their replenishment time constant can be assumed to be constant (∼4 and 13.5 ms, respectively). We suggest that the organization of the IHC ribbon synapses not only enables sustained release of neurotransmitter but also imposes temporal regularity on the release process, particularly when operating at high rates.

A rechargeable zinc halogen battery has an aqueous electrolyte containing ions of zinc and halogen and an amount of polysaccharide and/or sorbitol sufficient to prevent zinc dendrite formation during recharging. The electrolyte may also contain trace amounts of metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, and lead. 7 tables.

The effects of copper and zinc ions on the rate of killing of Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and fungal yeast Candida albicans by antiseptic agents cetylpyridinium chloride and povidone-iodine (Betadine) were investigated. In the 48 test cases copper and zinc ions clearly potentiated the antiseptic agents in 28 (58.3%) cases and exhibited an improved (not clear potentiation) activity in 15 (31.3%) cases. In five (10.4%) cases there was no change in the antiseptics' antimicrobial activity. In general zinc potentiated the antiseptic agents more than copper. If an 'improved activity' was the only criterion for this study, then a more rapid antimicrobial effect was observed in 43 out of the 48 test cases, i.e., 90%.

Zinc oxide in the bulk as well as in the nanocrystalline form is thermodynamically stable in the wurtzite structure. However, zinc oxide in the zinc-blende structure is more useful than that in the wurtzite structure due to its superior electronic properties as well as possibility of efficient doping. Therefore, zinc oxide shell is grown epitaxially on zinc sulphide core nanoparticles having zinc-blende structure. It is shown that doping of manganese could be achieved in zinc oxide nanoshell with zinc-blende structure.

This work investigates the effects of concentration of precursor and annealing temperature on the optical properties of nanostructured Al-doped (AZO) zinc oxide thin films prepared by sol-gel spin coating technique. The sols were prepared using concentration of zinc acetate dehydrate which was varied between 0.1 and 1.4 mole/liter. Aluminium chloride was used as dopant while the annealing temperature of 400° to 650° was chosen. The results show that the concentration between 0.3 to 0.6 moles/liter zinc acetate dehydrate in solution resulted in good thin films with high preferential c-axis orientation and optical transmission reveal a good transmittance within the visible wavelength spectrum region while the concentrations that fall outside this range did not yield films with good c-axis orientation. The films deposited at annealing temperatures 500° and 650° showed surface structures much smaller than 400°. The Spin coating technique creates ZnO films with potential for application as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices such as solar cell. The Authors would like to Acknowledge the encouragement and financial support from the Management of Osun state Polytechnic, Iree.

This study was undertaken to evaluate zinc's influence on the resistance of organotrophic bacteria, actinomyces, fungi, dehydrogenases, catalase and urease. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse of the University of Warmia and Mazury (UWM) in Olsztyn, Poland. Plastic pots were filled with 3 kg of sandy loam with pHKCl - 7.0 each. The experimental variables were: zinc applied to soil at six doses: 100, 300, 600, 1,200, 2,400 and 4,800 mg of Zn(2+) kg(-1) in the form of ZnCl2 (zinc chloride), and species of plant: oat (Avena sativa L.) cv. Chwat and white mustard (Sinapis alba) cv. Rota. Soil without the addition of zinc served as the control. During the growing season, soil samples were subjected to microbiological analyses on experimental days 25 and 50 to determine the abundance of organotrophic bacteria, actinomyces and fungi, and the activity of dehydrogenases, catalase and urease, which provided a basis for determining the soil resistance index (RS). The physicochemical properties of soil were determined after harvest. The results of this study indicate that excessive concentrations of zinc have an adverse impact on microbial growth and the activity of soil enzymes. The resistance of organotrophic bacteria, actinomyces, fungi, dehydrogenases, catalase and urease decreased with an increase in the degree of soil contamination with zinc. Dehydrogenases were most sensitive and urease was least sensitive to soil contamination with zinc. Zinc also exerted an adverse influence on the physicochemical properties of soil and plant development. The growth of oat and white mustard plants was almost completely inhibited in response to the highest zinc doses of 2,400 and 4,800 mg Zn(2+) kg(-1).

Transparent, electrically conductive and infrared-reflective films of zinc oxyfluoride are produced by chemical vapor deposition from vapor mixtures of zinc, oxygen and fluorine-containing compounds. The substitution of fluorine for some of the oxygen in zinc oxide results in dramatic increases in the electrical conductivity. For example, diethyl zinc, ethyl alcohol and hexafluoropropene vapors are reacted over a glass surface at 400.degree. C. to form a visibly transparent, electrically conductive, infrared reflective and ultraviolet absorptive film of zinc oxyfluoride. Such films are useful in liquid crystal display devices, solar cells, electrochromic absorbers and reflectors, energy-conserving heat mirrors, and antistatic coatings.

Recommendations for zinc intake during childhood vary widely across Europe. The EURRECA project attempts to consolidate the basis for the definition of micronutrient requirements, taking into account relationships among intake, status and health outcomes, in order to harmonise these recommendations. Data on zinc intake and biomarkers of zinc status reported in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) can provide estimates of dose-response relationships which may be used for underpinning zinc reference values. This systematic review included all RCTs of apparently healthy children aged 1–17 years published by February 2010 which provided data on zinc intake and biomarkers of zinc status. An intake-status regression coefficient () was calculated for each individual study and calculated the overall pooled and SE () using random effects meta-analysis on a double log scale. The pooled dose-response relationship between zinc intake and zinc status indicated that a doubling of the zinc intake increased the serum/plasma zinc status by 9%. This evidence can be utilised, together with currently used balance studies and repletion/depletion studies, when setting zinc recommendations as a basis for nutrition policies. PMID:23016120

Cadmium and zinc concentrations in kidney and liver have been measured under different exposure situations in different species including man. The results show that zinc increases almost equimolarly with cadmium in kidney after long-term low-level exposure to cadmium, e.g., in man, horse, pig, and lamb. In contrast, the increase of zinc follows that of cadmium to only a limited extent, e.g., in guinea pig, rabbit, rat, mouse, and chicks. In liver, the cadmium--zinc relationship seems to be reversed in such a way that zinc increases with cadmium more markedly in laboratory animals than in higher mammals. These differences between cadmium and zinc relationships in humans and large farm animals and those in commonly used laboratory animals must be considered carefully before experimental data on cadmium and zinc relationships in laboratory animals can be extrapolated to humans.

We have studied the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant of composites based on low-density polyethylene and zinc oxide nanoparticles. Features related to the appearance of metastable states in the course of sequential heating-cooling cycles are revealed and mechanisms explaining this behavior are proposed.

An experimental program was initiated in order to develop and validate conditions that will effectively trap Zn vapors that are released during extraction. The proposed work is broken down into three tasks. The first task is to determine the effectiveness of various pore sizes of filter elements. The second task is to determine the effect of filter temperature on zinc vapor deposition. The final task is to determine whether the zinc vapors can be chemically bound. The approach for chemically binding the zinc vapors has two subtasks, the first is a review of literature and thermodynamic calculations and the second is an experimental approach using the best candidates. This report details the results of the thermodynamic calculations to determine feasibility of chemically binding the zinc vapors within the furnace module, specifically the lithium trap (1). A review of phase diagrams, literature, and thermodynamic calculations was conducted to determine if there are suitable materials to capture zinc vapor within the lithium trap of the extraction basket. While numerous elements exist that form compounds with zinc, many of these also form compounds with hydrogen or the water that is present in the TPBARs. This relatively comprehensive review of available data indicates that elemental cobalt and copper and molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) may have the requisite properties to capture zinc and yet not be adversely affected by the extraction gases and should be considered for testing.

Low-melting zinc-borate glass was added to the cordierite/Al2O3 composite in order to improve the sintering facility of Al2O3 and formation of nano-sized spinel crystal of high thermal conductivity. Increasing the ZnO/B2O3 ratio in the zinc-borate glass increased the ZnAl2O4 spinel and decreased the Al4B2O9 crystal peak intensities in X-ray diffraction pattern. The XRD peak intensities of the ZnAl2O4 spinel and Al4B2O9 crystals in the specimen containing 10 wt% zinc-borate glass (10G series) are higher than that of the specimen containing 5 wt% zinc-borate glass (5G series). The microstructures of most 10G series specimens had the flower-shaped crystal which was composed of 50 nm wide and 250 nm long needle-like crystals and identified as ZnAl2O4 spinel phase. The thermal conductivity of the 10G series specimen was higher than that of the 5G series in any ZnO/B2O3 ratio due to the formation of plenty of nano-sized ZnAl2O4 spinel of high thermal conductivity. Particularly, the thermal conductivity of the cordierite/Al2O3 composite containing 10 wt% zinc-borate glass of ZnO/B2O3 weight ratio = 1.5 was 3.8 W/Km which is much higher than that of the published value (3.0 W/Km).

The long-term atmospheric corrosion performance of rolled zinc and three thermal-sprayed (TS) zinc materials (Zn, Zn-15Al, and Al-12Zn-0.2In) was characterized by measuring corrosion product concentrations in precipitation runoff at coastal marine and inland sites. Corrosion rates and average zinc concentrations in the runoff were greater at the site having higher annual rainfall. Higher chloride concentrations did not seem to affect either the corrosion rates or the zinc concentrations in the runoff at the coastal site compared to those of the inland site. Zinc runoff concentrations were higher for TS Zn than rolled zinc due to the greater surface area of the thermal-sprayed surface. Average cumulative zinc runoff losses for the two sites were: 64 {micro}mol Zn/L for TS Zn, 37 {micro}mol Zn/L for rolled Zn, 24 {micro}mol Zn/L for TS Zn-15Al, and 1.8 {micro}mol Zn/L for TS Al-12Zn-0.2In. Cumulative zinc runoff losses were directly related both to the precipitation rate and to the availability of Zn in metal surfaces, a consequence of surface roughness and surface chemistry properties of the metal.

Pancreatic β cells contain the highest amount of zinc among cells within the human body, and hence, the relationship between zinc and diabetes has been a topic of great interest. While many studies demonstrating possible involvement of zinc deficiency in diabetes have been reported, precise mechanisms how zinc regulates glucose metabolism are still far from understood. Recent studies revealed that zinc can transmit signals that are driven by a variety of zinc transporters in a tissue and cell-type specific manner and deficiency in some zinc transporters may cause human diseases. Here, we review the role of zinc in metabolism particularly focusing on the emerging role of zinc transporters in diabetes.

A backside illuminated charge coupled device (CCD) is formed of a relatively thick high resistivity photon sensitive silicon substrate, with frontside electronic circuitry, and an optically transparent backside ohmic contact for applying a backside voltage which is at least sufficient to substantially fully deplete the substrate. A greater bias voltage which overdepletes the substrate may also be applied. One way of applying the bias voltage to the substrate is by physically connecting the voltage source to the ohmic contact. An alternate way of applying the bias voltage to the substrate is to physically connect the voltage source to the frontside of the substrate, at a point outside the depletion region. Thus both frontside and backside contacts can be used for backside biasing to fully deplete the substrate. Also, high resistivity gaps around the CCD channels and electrically floating channel stop regions can be provided in the CCD array around the CCD channels. The CCD array forms an imaging sensor useful in astronomy.

The treatment of tuberculosis by chemotherapy is complicated due to multiple drug prescriptions, long treatment duration, and adverse side effects. We report here for the first time an in vitro therapeutic effect of nanocomposites based on para-aminosalicylic acid with zinc layered hydroxide (PAS-ZLH) and zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxides (PAS-Zn/Al LDH), against mycobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria. The nanocomposites demonstrated good antimycobacterial activity and were found to be effective in killing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A biocompatibility study revealed good biocompatibility of the PAS-ZLH nanocomposites against normal human MRC-5 lung cells. The para-aminosalicylic acid loading was quantified with high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. In summary, the present preliminary in vitro studies are highly encouraging for further in vivo studies of PAS-ZLH and PAS-Zn/Al LDH nanocomposites to treat tuberculosis. PMID:25114509

In this study, novel phthalonitrile compounds bearing 2-methylbenzo[d]thiazol-5-yloxy groups (4 and 5) and their peripherally and non-peripherally tetra-substituted metal-free (6 and 7), zinc (II) (8 and 9), and lead (II) (10 and 11) phthalocyanine derivatives were synthesized and characterized for the first time. These novel compounds showed extremely good solubility in most common organic solvents. The novel phthalocyanine compounds presented excellent results from photophysical and photochemical examinations in DMF solution. Especially, the singlet oxygen quantum yield (ΦΔ) values of the substituted zinc (II) phthalocyanines indicate that these compounds have significant potential as photosensitizers in cancer treatment by the photodynamic therapy (PDT) technique. The fluorescence quenching behaviour of these novel phthalocyanine compounds by 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) was also examined in DMF solution.

This patent describes an improved zinc electrode for a rechargeable zinc-air battery comprising an outer frame and a porous foam electrode support within the frame which is treated prior to the deposition of zinc thereon to inhibit the formation of zinc dendrites on the external surface thereof. The outer frame is provided with passageways for circulating an alkaline electrolyte through the treated zinc-coated porous foam. A novel rechargeable zinc-air battery system is also disclosed.

Atomic absorption spectroscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and dithizone staining of trophozoites and cysts of Entamoeba invadens demonstrate that these cells have a high concentration of zinc (approximately one picogram per cell or 1% of their dry weight). In the cysts of this organism, the zinc is confined to the chromatoid bodies, which previous work has shown to contain crystals of ribosomes. The chemical state and function of this zinc are unknown.

Hepatic levels of the essential micronutrient, zinc, are diminished by several hepatotoxicants, and the dietary supplementation of zinc has proven protective in those cases. 3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126), a liver toxicant, alters hepatic nutrient homeostasis and lowers hepatic zinc levels. The current study was designed to determine the mitigative potential of dietary zinc in the toxicity associated with PCB126 and the role of zinc in that toxicity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three dietary groups and fed diets deficient in zinc (7 ppm Zn), adequate in zinc (30 ppm Zn), and supplemented in zinc (300 ppm). The animals were maintained for 3 weeks on these diets, then given a single IP injection of vehicle or 1 or 5 μmol/kg PCB126. After 2 weeks, the animals were euthanized. Dietary zinc increased the level of ROS, the activity of CuZnSOD, and the expression of metallothionein but decreased the levels of hepatic manganese. PCB126 exposed rats exhibited classic signs of exposure, including hepatomegaly, increased hepatic lipids, increased ROS and CYP induction. Liver histology suggests some mild ameliorative properties of both zinc deficiency and zinc supplementation. Other metrics of toxicity (relative liver and thymus weights, hepatic lipids, and hepatic ROS) did not support this trend. Interestingly, the zinc supplemented high dose PCB126 group had mildly improved histology and less efficacious induction of investigated genes than did the low dose PCB126 group. Overall, decreases in zinc caused by PCB126 likely contribute little to the ongoing toxicity, and the mitigative/preventive capacity of zinc against PCB126 exposure seems limited.

Zinc was noted to have significant effects upon the infection of McCoy cells by each of two strains of Chlamydia trachomatis. With a high or low Chlamydia inoculant, the number of infected cells increased up to 200% utilizing supplemental zinc (up to 1 x 10/sup -4/ M) in the inoculation media compared with standard Chlamydia cultivation media (8 x 10/sup -6/ M zinc). Ferric chloride and calcium chloride did not effect any such changes. Higher concentrations of zinc, after 2 hr of incubation with Chlamydia, significantly decreased the number of inclusions. This direct effect of zinc on the Chlamydia remained constant after further repassage of the Chlamydia without supplemental zinc, suggesting a lethal effect of the zinc. Supplemental zinc (up to 10/sup -4/ M) may prove to be a useful addition to inoculation media to increase the yield of culturing for Chlamydia trachomatis. Similarly, topical or oral zinc preparations used by people may alter their susceptibility to Chamydia trachomatis infections.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for human metabolism that catalyzes more than 100 enzymes, facilitates protein folding, and helps regulate gene expression. Patients with malnutrition, alcoholism, inflammatory bowel disease, and malabsorption syndromes are at an increased risk of zinc deficiency. Symptoms of zinc deficiency are nonspecific, including growth retardation, diarrhea, alopecia, glossitis, nail dystrophy, decreased immunity, and hypogonadism in males. In developing countries, zinc supplementation may be effective for the prevention of upper respiratory infection and diarrhea, and as an adjunct treatment for diarrhea in malnourished children. Zinc in combination with antioxidants may be modestly effective in slowing the progression of intermediate and advanced age-related macular degeneration. Zinc is an effective treatment for Wilson disease. Current data do not support zinc supplementation as effective for upper respiratory infection, wound healing, or human immunodeficiency virus. Zinc is well tolerated at recommended dosages. Adverse effects of long-term high-dose zinc use include suppressed immunity, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, anemia, copper deficiency, and possible genitourinary complications. PMID:20141096

The Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu,ZnSOD) isolated from Haemophilus ducreyi possesses a His-rich N-terminal metal binding domain, which has been previously proposed to play a copper(II) chaperoning role. To analyze the metal binding ability and selectivity of the histidine-rich domain we have carried out thermodynamic and solution structural analysis of the copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of a peptide corresponding to the first 11 amino acids of the enzyme (H(2)N-HGDHMHNHDTK-OH, L). This peptide has highly versatile metal binding ability and provides one and three high affinity binding sites for zinc(II) and copper(II), respectively. In equimolar solutions the MHL complexes are dominant in the neutral pH-range with protonated lysine epsilon-amino group. As a consequence of its multidentate nature, L binds zinc and copper with extraordinary high affinity (K(D,Zn)=1.6x10(-9)M and K(D,Cu)=5.0x10(-12)M at pH 7.4) and appears as the strongest zinc(II) and copper(II) chelator between the His-rich peptides so far investigated. These K(D) values support the already proposed role of the N-terminal His-rich region of H. ducreyi Cu,ZnSOD in copper recruitment under metal starvation, and indicate a similar function in the zinc(II) uptake, too. The kinetics of copper(II) transfer from L to the active site of Cu-free N-deleted H. ducreyi Cu,ZnSOD showed significant pH and copper-to-peptide ratio dependence, indicating specific structural requirements during the metal ion transfer to the active site. Interestingly, the complex CuHL has significant superoxide dismutase like activity, which may suggest multifunctional role of the copper(II)-bound N-terminal His-rich domain of H. ducreyi Cu,ZnSOD.

This review critically summarizes the literature on the spectrum of health effects of zinc status, ranging from symptoms of zinc deficiency to excess exposure. Studies on zinc intake are reviewed in relation to optimum requirements as a function of age and sex. Current knowledge on the biochemical properties of zinc which are critical to the essential role of this metal in biological systems is summarized. Dietary and physiological factors influencing the bioavailability and utilization of zinc are considered with special attention to interactions with iron and copper status. The effects of zinc deficiency and toxicity are reviewed with respect to specific organs, immunological and reproductive function, and genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Finally, key questions are identified where research is needed, such as the risks to human health of altered environmental distribution of zinc, assessment of zinc status in humans, effects of zinc status in relation to other essential metals on immune function, reproduction, neurological function, and the cardiovascular system, and mechanistic studies to further elucidate the biological effects of zinc at the molecular level. PMID:7925188

The vimentin filament network plays a key role in cell architecture and signalling, as well as in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Vimentin C328 is targeted by various oxidative modifications, but its role in vimentin organization is not known. Here we show that C328 is essential for vimentin network reorganization in response to oxidants and electrophiles, and is required for optimal vimentin performance in network expansion, lysosomal distribution and aggresome formation. C328 may fulfil these roles through interaction with zinc. In vitro, micromolar zinc protects vimentin from iodoacetamide modification and elicits vimentin polymerization into optically detectable structures; in cells, zinc closely associates with vimentin and its depletion causes reversible filament disassembly. Finally, zinc transport-deficient human fibroblasts show increased vimentin solubility and susceptibility to disruption, which are restored by zinc supplementation. These results unveil a critical role of C328 in vimentin organization and open new perspectives for the regulation of intermediate filaments by zinc.

In recent years the nutritional importance of zinc has been well established; its deficiency and its symptoms have also been recognized in humans. Furthermore, Acrodermatitis Enteropathica has been isolated, a rare but severe disease, of which skin lesions, chronic diarrhoea and recurring infections are the main symptoms. The disease is related to the malfunctioning of intestinal absorption of zinc and can be treated by administering pharmacological doses of zinc orally. Good dietary sources of zinc are meat, fish and, to a less extent, human milk. The amount of zinc absorbed in the small intestine is influenced by other nutrients: some compounds inhibit this process (dietary fiber, phytate) while others (picolinic acid, citric acid), referred to as Zn-binding ligands (ZnBL) facilitate it. Citric acid is thought to be the ligand which accounts for the high level of bioavailability of zinc in human milk. zinc absorption occurs throughout the small intestine, not only in the prossimal tract (duodenum and jejunum) but also in the distal tract (ileum). Diarrhoea is one of the clinical manifestations of zinc deficiency, thus many illnesses distinguished by chronic diarrhoea entail a bad absorption of zinc. In fact, in some cases of chronic enteropathies in infants, like coeliac disease and seldom cystic fibrosis, a deficiency of zinc has been isolated. Some of the symptoms of Crohn's disease, like retarded growth and hypogonadism, have been related to hypozinchemia which is present in this illness. Finally, it is possible that some of the dietary treatments frequently used for persistent post-enteritis diarrhoea (i.e. cow's milk exclusion, abuse and misuse of dietary fiber like carrot and carub powder, use of soy formula) can constitute a scarce supply of zinc and therefore could promote the persistency of diarrhoea itself.

A by-product of the uranium enrichment process, depleted uranium (DU) contains approximately 40% of the radioactivity of natural uranium yet retains all of its chemical properties. After its use in the 1991 Gulf War, public concern increased regarding its potential radiotoxicant properties. Whereas in vitro and rodent data have suggested the potential for uranium-induced carcinogenesis, human cohort studies assessing the health effects of natural and DU have failed to validate these findings. Heavy-metal nephrotoxicity has not been noted in either animal studies or Gulf War veteran cohort studies despite markedly elevated urinary uranium excretion. No significant residual environmental contamination has been found in geographical areas exposed to DU. As such, although continued surveillance of exposed cohorts and environments (particularly water sources) are recommended, current data would support the position that DU poses neither a radiological nor chemical threat.

During enrichment large amounts of depleted Uranium are produced. In Germany every year 2.800 tons of depleted uranium are generated. In Germany depleted uranium is not classified as radioactive waste but a resource for further enrichment. Therefore since 1996 depleted Uranium is sent to ROSATOM in Russia. However it still has to be dealt with the second generation of depleted Uranium. To evaluate the alternative actions in case a solution has to be found in Germany, several studies have been initiated by the Federal Ministry of the Environment. The work that has been carried out evaluated various possibilities to deal with depleted uranium. The international studies on this field and the situation in Germany have been analyzed. In case no further enrichment is planned the depleted uranium has to be stored. In the enrichment process UF{sub 6} is generated. It is an international consensus that for storage it should be converted to U{sub 3}O{sub 8}. The necessary technique is well established. If the depleted Uranium would have to be characterized as radioactive waste, a final disposal would become necessary. For the planned Konrad repository - a repository for non heat generating radioactive waste - the amount of Uranium is limited by the licensing authority. The existing license would not allow the final disposal of large amounts of depleted Uranium in the Konrad repository. The potential effect on the safety case has not been roughly analyzed. As a result it may be necessary to think about alternatives. Several possibilities for the use of depleted uranium in the industry have been identified. Studies indicate that the properties of Uranium would make it useful in some industrial fields. Nevertheless many practical and legal questions are open. One further option may be the use as shielding e.g. in casks for transport or disposal. Possible techniques for using depleted Uranium as shielding are the use of the metallic Uranium as well as the inclusion in concrete

The project has evolved to that of using Green's functions to predict properties of deep defects in narrow gap materials. Deep defects are now defined as originating from short range potentials and are often located near the middle of the energy gap. They are important because they affect the lifetime of charge carriers and hence the switching time of transistors. We are now moving into the arena of predicting formation energies of deep defects. This will also allow us to make predictions about the relative concentrations of the defects that could be expected at a given temperature. The narrow gap materials mercury cadmium telluride (MCT), mercury zinc telluride (MZT), and mercury zinc selenide (MZS) are of interest to NASA because they have commercial value for infrared detecting materials, and because there is a good possibility that they can be grown better in a microgravity environment. The uniform growth of these crystals on earth is difficult because of convection (caused by solute depletion just ahead of the growing interface, and also due to thermal gradients). In general it is very difficult to grow crystals with both radial and axial homogeneity.

The project has evolved to that of using Green's functions to predict properties of deep defects in narrow gap materials. Deep defects are now defined as originating from short range potentials and are often located near the middle of the energy gap. They are important because they affect the lifetime of charge carriers and hence the switching time of transistors. We are now moving into the arena of predicting formation energies of deep defects. This will also allow us to make predictions about the relative concentrations of the defects that could be expected at a given temperature. The narrow gap materials mercury cadmium telluride (MCT), mercury zinc telluride (MZT), and mercury zinc selenide (MZS) are of interest to NASA because they have commercial value for infrared detecting materials, and because there is a good possibility that they can be grown better in a microgravity environment. The uniform growth of these crystals on earth is difficult because of convection (caused by solute depletion just ahead of the growing interface, and also due to thermal gradients). In general it is very difficult to grow crystals with both radial and axial homogeneity.

Use of decomposable precursors to enhance zinc oxide-titanium dioxide reaction and rapid fixing results in rapid preparation of zinc orthotitanate powder pigment. Preparation process allows production under less stringent conditions. Elimination of powder grinding results in purer that is less susceptible to color degradation.

The flow properties of blood are determined by the physical properties of its main constituents, the red blood cells (RBC's). At low shear rates RBC's form aggregates, so called rouleaux. Higher shear rates can break them up and the viscosity of blood shows a shear thinning behavior. The physical origin of the rouleaux formation is not yet fully resolved and there are two competing models available. One predicts that the adhesion is induced by bridging of the plasma (macromolecular) proteins in-between two RBC's. The other is based on the depletion effect and thus predicts the absence of macromolecules in-between the cells of a rouleaux. Recent single cell force measurements by use of an AFM support strongly the depletion model. By varying the concentration of Dextran at different molecular weights we can control the adhesions strength. Measurements at low hematocrit in a microfluidic channel show that the number of size of clusters is determined by the depletion induced adhesion strength.

The primary focus of this review is to challenge the current concepts on sperm chromatin stability. The observations (i) that zincdepletion at ejaculation allows a rapid and total sperm chromatin decondensation without the addition of exogenous disulfide cleaving agents and (ii) that the human sperm chromatin contains one zinc for every protamine for every turn of the DNA helix suggest an alternative model for sperm chromatin structure may be plausible. An alternative model is therefore proposed, that the human spermatozoon could at ejaculation have a rapidly reversible zinc dependent chromatin stability: Zn(2+) stabilizes the structure and prevents the formation of excess disulfide bridges by a single mechanism, the formation of zinc bridges with protamine thiols of cysteine and potentially imidazole groups of histidine. Extraction of zinc enables two biologically totally different outcomes: immediate decondensation if chromatin fibers are concomitantly induced to repel (e.g. by phosphorylation in the ooplasm); otherwise freed thiols become committed into disulfide bridges creating a superstabilized chromatin. Spermatozoa in the zinc rich prostatic fluid (normally the first expelled ejaculate fraction) represent the physiological situation. Extraction of chromatin zinc can be accomplished by the seminal vesicular fluid. Collection of the ejaculate in one single container causes abnormal contact between spermatozoa and seminal vesicular fluid affecting the sperm chromatin stability. There are men in infertile couples with low content of sperm chromatin zinc due to loss of zinc during ejaculation and liquefaction. Tests for sperm DNA integrity may give false negative results due to decreased access for the assay to the DNA in superstabilized chromatin.

The Specific Manufacturing Capabilities (SMC) Project located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and operated by Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Co. (LMIT) for the Department of Energy (DOE) manufactures depleted uranium for use in the U.S. Army MIA2 Abrams Heavy Tank Armor Program. Since 1986, SMC has fabricated more than 12 million pounds of depleted uranium (DU) products in a multitude of shapes and sizes with varying metallurgical properties while maintaining security, environmental, health and safety requirements. During initial facility design in the early 1980`s, emphasis on employee safety, radiation control and environmental consciousness was gaining momentum throughout the DOE complex. This fact coupled with security and production requirements forced design efforts to focus on incorporating automation, local containment and computerized material accountability at all work stations. The result was a fully automated production facility engineered to manufacture DU armor packages with virtually no human contact while maintaining security, traceability and quality requirements. This hands off approach to handling depleted uranium resulted in minimal radiation exposures and employee injuries. Construction of the manufacturing facility was complete in early 1986 with the first armor package certified in October 1986. Rolling facility construction was completed in 1987 with the first certified plate produced in the fall of 1988. Since 1988 the rolling and manufacturing facilities have delivered more than 2600 armor packages on schedule with 100% final product quality acceptance. During this period there was an annual average of only 2.2 lost time incidents and a single individual maximum radiation exposure of 150 mrem. SMC is an example of designing and operating a facility that meets regulatory requirements with respect to national security, radiation control and personnel safety while achieving production schedules and product quality.

The destruction of the Earth`s protective ozone layer is a prime environmental concern. Industry has responded to this environmental problem by: implementing conservation techniques to reduce the emission of ozone-depleting chemicals (ODCs); using alternative cleaning solvents that have lower ozone depletion potentials (ODPs); developing new, non-ozone-depleting solvents, such as terpenes; and developing low-residue soldering processes. This paper presents an overview of a joint testing program at Sandia and Motorola to evaluate a low-residue (no-clean) soldering process for printed wiring boards (PWBs). Such processes are in widespread use in commercial applications because they eliminate the cleaning operation. The goal of this testing program was to develop a data base that could be used to support changes in the mil-specs. In addition, a joint task force involving industry and the military has been formed to conduct a follow-up evaluation of low-residue processes that encompass the concerns of the tri-services. The goal of the task force is to gain final approval of the low-residue technology for use in military applications.

Estimates made in the 1970's indicated that a supernova occurring within tens of parsecs of Earth could have significant effects on the ozone layer. Since that time improved tools for detailed modeling of atmospheric chemistry have been developed to calculate ozone depletion, and advances have been made also in theoretical modeling of supernovae and of the resultant gamma ray spectra. In addition, one now has better knowledge of the occurrence rate of supernovae in the galaxy, and of the spatial distribution of progenitors to core-collapse supernovae. We report here the results of two-dimensional atmospheric model calculations that take as input the spectral energy distribution of a supernova, adopting various distances from Earth and various latitude impact angles. In separate simulations we calculate the ozone depletion due to both gamma rays and cosmic rays. We find that for the combined ozone depletion from these effects roughly to double the 'biologically active' UV flux received at the surface of the Earth, the supernova must occur at approximately or less than 8 parsecs.

The synthesis of the heterobinuclear copper-zinc complex [CuZn(bz)3(bpy)2]ClO4 (bz = benzoate) from benzoic acid and bipyridine is described. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies of the heterobinuclear complex reveals the geometry of the benzoato bridged Cu(II)-Zn(II) centre. The copper or zinc atom is pentacoordinate, with two oxygen atoms from bridging benzoato groups and two nitrogen atoms from one bipyridine forming an approximate plane and a bridging oxygen atom from a monodentate benzoate group. The Cu-Zn distance is 3.345 Å. The complex is normal paramagnetic having μeff value equal to 1.75 BM, ruling out the possibility of Cu-Cu interaction in the structural unit. The ESR spectrum of the complex in CH3CN at RT exhibit an isotropic four line spectrum centred at g = 2.142 and hyperfine coupling constants Aav = 63 × 10-4 cm-1, characteristic of a mononuclear square-pyramidal copper(II) complexes. At LNT, the complex shows an isotropic spectrum with g|| = 2.254 and g⊥ = 2.071 and A|| = 160 × 10-4 cm-1. The Hamiltonian parameters are characteristic of distorted square pyramidal geometry. Cyclic voltammetric studies of the complex have indicated quasi-reversible behaviour in acetonitrile solution.

Taking the vegetable soil with zinc- and cadmium contamination from a long-term sewage sludge application as the object, a pot experiment was conducted to study the remediation effect of Sedum plumbizincicola and Apium graceolens under continuous monoculture and intercropping. With the remediation time increased, both S. plumbizincicola and A. graceolens under monoculture grew poorly, but S. plumbizincicola under intercropping grew well. Under intercropping, the soil organic matter, total N, extractable N, and total P contents decreased significantly while the soil extractable K content had a significant increase, the counts of soil bacteria and fungi increased by 7.9 and 18.4 times and 3.7 and 4.3 times, respectively, but the soil urease and catalase activities remained unchanged, as compared with those under A. graceolens and S. plumbizincicola monoculture. The BIOLOG ECO micro-plates also showed that the carbon sources utilization level and the functional diversity index of soil microbial communities were higher under intercropping than under monoculture, and the concentrations of soil zinc and cadmium under intercropping decreased by 5.8% and 50.0%, respectively, with the decrements being significantly higher than those under monoculture. It was suggested that soil microbial effect could be one of the important factors affecting plant growth.

This paper describes the synthesis of the (thiocyanato-N)(meso-tetratolylporphyrinato)zinc(II) chlorobenzene monosolvate complex with the formula [K(2,2,2-crypt)][Zn(TTP)(NCS)]·C6H5Cl (I) using the cryptand-222 to solubilize potassium thiocyanate in chlorobenzene solvent. Complex (I) has been characterized by elementary analysis, IR, UV-vis, 1H NMR and MS, and the structure of this new zinc(II) metalloporphyrin been examined crystallographically. A cyclic voltammetry investigation was also carried out on this species. The title compound crystallizes in the triclinic, space group P-1, with a = 11.5151(7) Å, b = 15.212(10) Å, c = 20.1093(12) Å, α = 80.428(4)°, β = 74.926(4)°, γ = 84.704(4)°, V = 3364.7(4) Å3, Z = 2 and Dcal = 1.303 g cm-3. The porphyrin macrocycle of (I) exhibits moderate ruffling and saddle distortions. In the crystal, the [Zn(TTP)(NCS)]- ion complexes, the [K(2,2,2-crypt)]+ counterions and the chlorobenzene solvent molecules are involved in a number of weak C__H&ctdot;S and C-H&ctdot;π intermolecular interactions forming a three-dimensional framework.

The degree to which inhibitors of zinc bioavailability actually influence the zinc status of humans who consume usual meals and diets is not known. The interaction of iron and zinc and competitive inhibition of zinc uptake by excess iron in ratios of 2:1 or greater, when the total amount of ionic species is greater than 25 mg, appear to have a measurable effect on human zinc nutrition. The physiological basis is the competition of these chemically similar ions for some portions of a common absorptive pathway shared between inorganic (nonheme) iron and zinc; this has been demonstrated in animal experiments and in zinc absorption studies in human volunteers. Thus, studies involving formula-fed infants, experimental zinc-depletion diets and pregnant women who took prenatal vitamin-mineral supplements containing high levels of iron have shown growth delay (infants) and a decreased circulating zinc pool (all age groups), suggesting a determinant impact of excessively high Fe/Zn ratios in the diet. Consideration of solutions to these problems, including conscious adjustment of the Fe/Zn ratios in human diets, foods and therapeutic nutrient supplements in order to reduce the zinc-inhibiting effects of iron, should become a priority in policy and marketing discussions within government regulatory agencies, industry and the scientific community of human and clinical nutritionists. 50 references.

Faulty autophagy has been linked to various diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Increasing evidence support the notion that activation of autophagy protects against ethanol-induced steatosis and liver injury. Herein, we investigated the role of zinc in autophagy in human hepatoma cells VL-17A exposed or not to ethanol. LC3II/LC3I ratio, p62, and Beclin-1 expression and autophagosomes number were determined in cells incubated in medium containing various concentrations of zinc with or without ethanol. In addition, labile zinc and mRNA expression of metallothionein and the zinc transporters SLC39A8, SLC39A14, and SLC30A10 were evaluated in cells exposed to ethanol and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Zincdepletion caused a significant suppression of autophagy in cells. Conversely, zinc addition to medium stimulated autophagy in cells. Moreover, cotreatment with ethanol and excess zinc (40 μM) had an additive effect on the induction of autophagy. 3-methyadenine treatment decreased labile zinc, but this effect was more pronounced in cells exposed to ethanol. Lastly, ethanol and 3-methyladenine caused significant changes in the expression of metallothionein and zinc transporters. The results from this study support the hypothesis that zinc is critical for autophagy under basal conditions and during ethanol exposure.

The coordination of zinc ions by tetraglyme has been investigated here to support the development of novel electrolytes for rechargeable zinc batteries. Zn(2+) reduction is electrochemically reversible from tetraglyme. The spectroscopic data, molar conductivity and thermal behavior as a function of zinc composition, between mole ratios [80 : 20] and [50 : 50] [tetraglyme : zinc chloride], all suggest that strong interactions take place between chloro-zinc complexes and tetraglyme. Varying the concentration of zinc chloride produces a range of zinc-chloro species (ZnClx)(2-x) in solution, which hinder full interaction between the zinc ion and tetraglyme. Both the [70 : 30] and [50 : 50] mixtures are promising electrolyte candidates for reversible zinc batteries, such as the zinc-air device.

A high performance amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistor (TFT) inverter is implemented using the enhancement mode driver and the depletion mode load. The threshold voltage of the TFT is easily controlled by adjusting the active layer thickness in a-IGZO TFTs. The proposed inverter shows much improved switching characteristics including higher voltage gain, wider swing range, and higher noise margins compared to the conventional inverter with an enhancement load.

Zinc is an essential element required for the function of more than 300 enzymes spanning all classes. Despite years of dedicated study, questions regarding the connections between primary and secondary metal ligands and protein structure and function remain unanswered, despite numerous mechanistic, structural, biochemical, and synthetic model studies. Protein design is a powerful strategy for reproducing native metal sites that may be applied to answering some of these questions and subsequently generating novel zinc enzymes. From examination of the earliest design studies introducing simple Zn(II)-binding sites into de novo and natural protein scaffolds to current studies involving the preparation of efficient hydrolytic zinc sites, it is increasingly likely that protein design will achieve reaction rates previously thought possible only for native enzymes. This Current Topic will review the design and redesign of Zn(II)-binding sites in de novo-designed proteins and native protein scaffolds toward the preparation of catalytic hydrolytic sites. After discussing the preparation of Zn(II)-binding sites in various scaffolds, we will describe relevant examples for reengineering existing zinc sites to generate new or altered catalytic activities. Then, we will describe our work on the preparation of a de novo-designed hydrolytic zinc site in detail and present comparisons to related designed zinc sites. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the significant progress being made toward building zinc metalloenzymes from the bottom up. PMID:24506795

Following the announcement of the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985 there have arisen a multitude of questions pertaining to the nature and consequences of polar ozone depletion. This thesis addresses several of these specific questions, using both computer models of chemical kinetics and the Earth's radiation field as well as laboratory kinetic experiments. A coupled chemical kinetic-radiative numerical model was developed to assist in the analysis of in situ field measurements of several radical and neutral species in the polar and mid-latitude lower stratosphere. Modeling was used in the analysis of enhanced polar ClO, mid-latitude diurnal variation of ClO, and simultaneous measurements of OH, HO_2, H_2 O and O_3. Most importantly, such modeling was instrumental in establishing the link between the observed ClO and BrO concentrations in the Antarctic polar vortex and the observed rate of ozone depletion. The principal medical concern of stratospheric ozone depletion is that ozone loss will lead to the enhancement of ground-level UV-B radiation. Global ozone climatology (40^circS to 50^ circN latitude) was incorporated into a radiation field model to calculate the biologically accumulated dosage (BAD) of UV-B radiation, integrated over days, months, and years. The slope of the annual BAD as a function of latitude was found to correspond to epidemiological data for non-melanoma skin cancers for 30^circ -50^circN. Various ozone loss scenarios were investigated. It was found that a small ozone loss in the tropics can provide as much additional biologically effective UV-B as a much larger ozone loss at higher latitudes. Also, for ozone depletions of > 5%, the BAD of UV-B increases exponentially with decreasing ozone levels. An important key player in determining whether polar ozone depletion can propagate into the populated mid-latitudes is chlorine nitrate, ClONO_2 . As yet this molecule is only indirectly accounted for in computer models and field

The geometrical properties of zinc binding sites in a dataset of high quality protein crystal structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank have been examined to identify important differences between zinc sites that are directly involved in catalysis and those that play a structural role. Coordination angles in the zinc primary coordination sphere are compared with ideal values for each coordination geometry, and zinc coordination distances are compared with those in small zinc complexes from the Cambridge Structural Database as a guide of expected trends. We find that distances and angles in the primary coordination sphere are in general close to the expected (or ideal) values. Deviations occur primarily for oxygen coordinating atoms and are found to be mainly due to H-bonding of the oxygen coordinating ligand to protein residues, bidentate binding arrangements, and multi-zinc sites. We find that H-bonding of oxygen containing residues (or water) to zinc bound histidines is almost universal in our dataset and defines the elec-His-Zn motif. Analysis of the stereochemistry shows that carboxyl elec-His-Zn motifs are geometrically rigid, while water elec-His-Zn motifs show the most geometrical variation. As catalytic motifs have a higher proportion of carboxyl elec atoms than structural motifs, they provide a more rigid framework for zinc binding. This is understood biologically, as a small distortion in the zinc position in an enzyme can have serious consequences on the enzymatic reaction. We also analyze the sequence pattern of the zinc ligands and residues that provide elecs, and identify conserved hydrophobic residues in the endopeptidases that also appear to contribute to stabilizing the catalytic zinc site. A zinc binding template in protein crystal structures is derived from these observations. PMID:10082367

Zinc phosphate conversion coatings for producing metals which exhibit enhanced corrosion prevention characteristics are prepared by the addition of a transition-metal-compound promoter comprising a manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, or copper compound and an electrolyte such as polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polyitaconic acid and poly-L-glutamic acid to a phosphating solution. These coatings are further improved by the incorporation of Fe ions. Thermal treatment of zinc phosphate coatings to generate {alpha}-phase anhydrous zinc phosphate improves the corrosion prevention qualities of the resulting coated metal. 33 figs.

Zinc phosphate conversion coatings for producing metals which exhibit enhanced corrosion prevention characteristics are prepared by the addition of a transition-metal-compound promoter comprising a manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, or copper compound and an electrolyte such as polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polyitaconic acid and poly-L-glutamic acid to a phosphating solution. These coatings are further improved by the incorporation of Fe ions. Thermal treatment of zinc phosphate coatings to generate .alpha.-phase anhydrous zinc phosphate improves the corrosion prevention qualities of the resulting coated metal.

Starting from the precursor [Zinc Valproate complex] (1), new mixed ligand zinc(II) complexes of valproic acid and nitrogen-based ligands, formulating as, [Zn(valp)22,9-dmphen] (2), [Zn2(valp)4(quin)2] (3), [Zn(valp)2(2-ampy)2] (4), and [Zn(valp)2(2-ampic)2] (5) (valp = valproate, 2,9-dmphen = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, quin = quinoline, 2-ampy = 2-aminopyridine, 2-ampic = 2-amino-6-picoline) were synthesized and characterized using IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C{(1)H} NMR and UV-Vis spectrometry. The crystal structures of complexes 2, 3 and 4 were determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The complexes were also evaluated for their anti-bacterial activity using in-vitro agar diffusion method against three Gram-positive (Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis) and three Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis) species. Complex 2 showed considerable activity against all tested microorganisms and the effect of complexation on the anti-bacterial activity of the parent ligand of 2 was also investigated. The anti-bacterial activity of 2,9-dmphen against Gram-negative bacteria was enhanced upon complexation with zinc valproate. On the other hand, complexes 1 and 3 showed weak inhibition activity against the tested species and complexes 4 and 5 didn't show any activity at all. Two methods were used for testing the inhibition of ferriprotoporphyrinIX bio-mineralization: a semi-quantitative micro-assay and a previously self-developed quantitative in-vitro method. Both were used to study the efficiency of these complexes in inhibiting the formation of the Malaria pigment which considered being the target of many known anti-malarial drugs such as Chloroquine and Amodiaquine. Results showed that the efficiency of complex 2 in preventing the formation of β-Hematin was 80%. The efficiency of Amodiaquine as a standard drug was reported to give 91%.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer. The high mortality rate reflets the lack of early diagnosis and limited treatment alternatives. We have observed a number of properties of zinc cytotoxicity that make it attractive from a therapeutic standpoint. Using SKOV3 and ES2 cells, ovarian cancer cell lines that demonstrate varied degrees of resistance to known therapeutics, we show that zinc killing is time and concentration dependent. Death is preceded by distinct changes in cell shape and size. The effects of zinc are additive with cisplatin or doxorubicin, whose morphological effects are distinct from those of zinc. Cytotoxicity of paclitaxel is minimal, making it difficult to determine additivity with zinc. Paclitaxel results in changes in cell shape and size similar to those of zinc but has different effects on cell cycle progression and cyclin expression. The data indicate that the means by which zinc kills ovarian cancer cells is distinct from currently used chemotherapeutics. Based on the properties reported here, zinc has the potential to be developed as either a primary treatment or as a second line of defense against cancers that have developed resistance to currently used chemotherapeutics.

Single crystals of alkali metal caesium(I) doped bis(thiourea)zinc(II) chloride are grown at room temperature by slow evaporation solution growth technique. Powder XRD studies reveal some interesting features in the XRD profiles with changes in intensity patterns in doped specimen due to stress development in the crystal. The incorporation of Cs(I) into the crystal lattice was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Slight shifts in vibrational patterns of doped specimen indicate that the crystal undergoes considerable lattice stress as result of doping. SEM studies of pure and doped samples reveal the external morphology. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal studies reveal the purity of the material and the specimens are stable up to the melting point. The optical studies reveal that absorption is minimum in the visible region and doping influenced the diffuse reflectance spectrum. The band gap energies of the pure and doped specimens were estimated by the application of Kubelka-Munk algorithm.

Single crystals of alkali metal caesium(I) doped bis(thiourea)zinc(II) chloride are grown at room temperature by slow evaporation solution growth technique. Powder XRD studies reveal some interesting features in the XRD profiles with changes in intensity patterns in doped specimen due to stress development in the crystal. The incorporation of Cs(I) into the crystal lattice was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Slight shifts in vibrational patterns of doped specimen indicate that the crystal undergoes considerable lattice stress as result of doping. SEM studies of pure and doped samples reveal the external morphology. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal studies reveal the purity of the material and the specimens are stable up to the melting point. The optical studies reveal that absorption is minimum in the visible region and doping influenced the diffuse reflectance spectrum. The band gap energies of the pure and doped specimens were estimated by the application of Kubelka-Munk algorithm.

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on indium-zinc oxide (IZO) active layer and anodic aluminum oxide (Al2O3) gate dielectric layer were fabricated. The influence of source and drain (S/D) contacts on TFT performance was investigated by comparing IZO-TFTs with different S/D electrodes. The TFT with Mo S/D electrodes had higher output current and lower threshold voltage, but had poorer subthreshold swing and lower effective electron mobility compared to that with ITO S/D electrodes. By using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profile analyzing method, it was observed that Mo was diffusing seriously into IZO, resulting in the variation of the effective channel length, thereby causing serious short-channel effect, poor subshreshold swing, and bad uniformity of the TFTs with Mo S/D electrodes.

The single crystal of L-Cystein doped zinc thiourea chloride (ZTC) has been grown by slow evaporation technique. The optical study revealed that the doped ZTC crystal has high transmission with lowest cut off wavelength of 306 nm. The optical band gap was found to be 4.2 eV. The transition band gaps were studied using the photoluminescence spectrum. The incorporation of L-Cystein in ZTC was estimated qualitatively by FT-IR analysis. The presence of dopant was confirmed by energy diffraction X-ray analysis (EDAX) analysis. The lower dielectric characteristics of doped ZTC crystal were scrutinized by dielectric measurements. The high thermal stability of grown crystal was ascertained by TG/DTA analysis. The Second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency measured using Nd-YAG laser is 1.96 times that of pure ZTC.

The Fermi surface depletion of beta-stable nuclear matter is calculated to study its effects on several physical properties that determine the neutron star (NS) thermal evolution. The neutron and proton Z factors measuring the corresponding Fermi surface depletions are calculated within the Brueckner–Hartree–Fock approach, employing the AV18 two-body force supplemented by a microscopic three-body force. Neutrino emissivity, heat capacity, and in particular neutron {sup 3}PF{sub 2} superfluidity, turn out to be reduced, especially at high baryonic density, to such an extent that the cooling rates of young NSs are significantly slowed.

While the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is widely perceived as a space agency, since its inception NASA has had a mission dedicated to the home planet. Initially, this mission involved using space to better observe and predict weather and to enable worldwide communication. Meteorological and communication satellites showed the value of space for earthly endeavors in the 1960s. In 1972, NASA launched Landsat, and the era of earth-resource monitoring began. At the same time, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the environmental movement swept throughout the United States and most industrialized countries. The first Earth Day event took place in 1970, and the government generally began to pay much more attention to issues of environmental quality. Mitigating pollution became an overriding objective for many agencies. NASA's existing mission to observe planet Earth was augmented in these years and directed more toward environmental quality. In the 1980s, NASA sought to plan and establish a new environmental effort that eventuated in the 1990s with the Earth Observing System (EOS). The Agency was able to make its initial mark via atmospheric monitoring, specifically ozone depletion. An important policy stimulus in many respects, ozone depletion spawned the Montreal Protocol of 1987 (the most significant international environmental treaty then in existence). It also was an issue critical to NASA's history that served as a bridge linking NASA's weather and land-resource satellites to NASA s concern for the global changes affecting the home planet. Significantly, as a global environmental problem, ozone depletion underscored the importance of NASA's ability to observe Earth from space. Moreover, the NASA management team's ability to apply large-scale research efforts and mobilize the talents of other agencies and the private sector illuminated its role as a lead agency capable of crossing organizational boundaries as well as the science-policy divide.

Zinc is a moderately volatile element and a key tracer of volatile depletion on planetary bodies due to lack of significant isotopic fractionation under high-temperature processes. Terrestrial basalts have δ66Zn values similar to some chondrites (+ 0.15 to 0.3‰ where [{66Zn/64Znsample/66Zn/64ZnJMC-Lyon-1} × 1000]) and elevated Zn concentrations (100 ppm). Lunar mare basalts yield a mean δ66Zn value of +1.4 ± 0.5‰ and have low Zn concentrations (~2 ppm). Late-stage lunar magmatic products, such as ferroan anorthosite, Mg-suite and Alkali suite rocks exhibit heavier δ66Zn values (+3 to +6‰). The heavy δ66Zn lunar signature is thought to reflect evaporative loss and fractionation of zinc, either during a giant impact or in a magma ocean phase.We explore conditions of volatile element loss within a lunar magma ocean (LMO) using models of Zn isotopic fractionation that are widely applicable to planetary magma oceans. For the Moon, our objective was to identify conditions that would yield a δ66Zn signature of ~ +1.4‰ within the mantle, assuming a terrestrial mantle zinc starting composition.We examine two cases of zinc evaporative fractionation: (1) lunar surface zinc fractionation that was completed prior to LMO crystallization and (2) lunar surface zinc fractionation that was concurrent with LMO crystallization. The first case resulted in a homogeneous lunar mantle and the second case yielded a stratified lunar mantle, with the greatest zinc isotopic enrichment in late-stage crystallization products. This latter case reproduces the distribution of zinc isotope compositions in lunar materials quite well.We find that hydrodynamic escape was not a dominant process in losing Zn, but that erosion of a nascent lunar atmosphere, or separation of condensates into a proto-lunar crust are possible. While lunar volatile depletion is still possible as a consequence of the giant impact, this process cannot reproduce the variable δ66Zn found in the Moon. Outgassing

An improved zinc electrode is disclosed for a rechargeable zinc-air battery comprising an outer frame and a porous foam electrode support within the frame which is treated prior to the deposition of zinc thereon to inhibit the formation of zinc dendrites on the external surface thereof. The outer frame is provided with passageways for circulating an alkaline electrolyte through the treated zinc-coated porous foam. A novel rechargeable zinc-air battery system is also disclosed which utilizes the improved zinc electrode and further includes an alkaline electrolyte within said battery circulating through the passageways in the zinc electrode and an external electrolyte circulation means which has an electrolyte reservoir external to the battery case including filter means to filter solids out of the electrolyte as it circulates to the external reservoir and pump means for recirculating electrolyte from the external reservoir to the zinc electrode.

A zinc finger motif is an element of proteins that can specifically recognize and bind to DNA. Because they contain multiple cysteine residues, zinc finger motifs possess redox properties. Ionizing radiation generates a variety of free radicals in organisms. Zinc finger motifs, therefore, may be a target of ionizing radiation. The effect of gamma radiation on the zinc finger motifs in transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA), a zinc finger protein, was investigated. TFIIIA was exposed to different gamma doses from 60Co sources. The dose rates were 0.20 Gy/min and 800 Gy/h, respectively. The binding capacity of zinc finger motifs in TFIIIA was determined using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. We found that 1000 Gy of gamma radiation impaired the function of the zinc finger motifs in TFIIIA. The sites of radiation-induced damage in the zinc finger were the thiol groups of cysteine residues and zinc (II) ions. The thiol groups were oxidized to form disulfide bonds and the zinc (II) ions were indicated to be reduced to zinc atoms. These results indicate that the zinc finger motif is a target domain for gamma radiation, which may decrease 5S rRNA expression via impairment of the zinc finger motifs in TFIIIA. PMID:27803644

Zinc oxide nanowires possess desirable mechanical, thermodynamic, electrical, and optical properties. Although the hydrothermal growth process can be applied in tolerable growth conditions, the dimension and density of nanowires has a complex dependence on substrate pre-treatment, precursor concentrations, and growth conditions. Precise control of the geometry and density of nanowires as well as the location of nanowires would allow for the fabrication of useful nanowaveguide devices. In this work, we used electron beam lithography to pattern hole arrays in a polymer layer on gold-coated glass substrates and synthesized zinc oxide nanowires inside these holes. Arrays of nanowires with diameters ranging from 50 nm to 140 nm and various spacings were obtained. The transmission of light through these zinc oxide nanowire arrays in a silver film was also studied. This research was supported by the Seed Grant Program of St. John's University and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CBET-0953645.

It has been consistently demonstrated that initial exertion of self-control had negative influence on people's performance on subsequent self-control tasks. This phenomenon is referred to as the ego depletion effect. Based on action control theory, the current research investigated whether the ego depletion effect could be moderated by individuals' action versus state orientation. Our results showed that only state-oriented individuals exhibited ego depletion. For individuals with action orientation, however, their performance was not influenced by initial exertion of self-control. The beneficial effect of action orientation against ego depletion in our experiment results from its facilitation for adapting to the depleting task.

It is widely agreed that a portion of the earth's protective stratospheric ozone layer is being depleted. The major effect of this ozone loss will be an increase in the amount of ultraviolet radiation (UV reaching the biosphere. This increase will be completely contained within the UVB (290nm - 320nm). It is imperative that assessments be made of the effects of this additional UVB on living organisms. This requires a detailed knowledge of the UVB photobiology of these life forms. One analytical technique to aid in the approximations is the construction of UV action spectra for such important biological end-points as human skin cancer, cataracts, immune suppression; plant photosynthesis and crop yields; and aquatic organism responses to UVB, especially the phytoplankton. Combining these action spectra with the known solar spectrum (and estimates for various ozone depletion scenarios) can give rise to a series of effectiveness spectra for these parameters. This manuscript gives a first approximation, rough estimate, for the effectiveness spectra for some of these bioresponses, and a series of crude temporary values for how a 10% ozone loss would affect the above end-points. These are not intended to masquerade as final answers, but rather, to serve as beginning attempts for a process which should be continually refined. It is hoped that these estimates will be of some limited use to agencies, such as government and industry, that have to plan now for changes in human activities that might alter future atmospheric chemistry in a beneficial manner.

The waste sludge generated during secondary zinc extraction process of an industry was studied for the recovery of electrolytic grade zinc and copper. The physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of the secondary zinc waste were studied in detail. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test was carried out for the sample and concentrations of heavy metals present in the waste were estimated. The engineering properties of the samples prepared through high temperature fired route provided important information on the characteristics and composition of the waste. Different binders like fly ash and yellow clay were used in different formulations using Indian Standard sand to prepare the samples and to study the Solidification-Stabilisation (S/S) mechanism of the encapsulated waste mass. The leachability studies and engineering properties of the samples were evaluated to study the abatement of hazardous potential of waste and to explore better utilisation options for the secondary zinc waste sludge.

Zinc oxide-eugenol cements are considerably better tolerated by tissue than other dental materials. As they alleviate pain and are bacteriostatic and antiseptic, they are well tolerated by patients. The cements are good insulators and possess better sealing properties than zinc phosphate cements. Because of their poor mechanic properties, the conventional zinc oxide-eugenol cements are mainly used as temporary fixing contents and filling materials, for gingival dressings and together with filling materials as impression materials. Recently, reinforced zinc oxide-eugenol cements and cements containing ethoxy benzoic acid (EBA) have been developed. These new cements have considerably better mechanic properties and are therefore used for cement bases, indirect capping, long-term temporary fillings and in selected cases as definite fixing cements.

require an immediate solution to attack this problem. Hence, an alternative approach is chosen in which TEC-depletions are ignored for GIVE estimation. This approach requires further attention to accommodate it in the processing software for a near real time solution for the concerned user in Indian zone. But, nonetheless, as a prime concern, to precluding a particular satellite-link affected by TEC depletion, a reference receiver or user requires an algorithm that can compute the TEC and detect the depletion in TEC in near real time. To answer it, a novel TEC depletion detector algorithm and software has been developed which can be used for any SBAS in India. The algorithm is initially tested for recorded data from ground based dual frequency GPS receivers of GAGAN project. Data from 18-20 stations with 30 second sampling interval was obtained for year 2004 and 2005. The algorithm has been tuned to Indian ionosphere and show a great success in detecting TEC depletions with minimum false alarm. This is because of a specific property of this algorithm that it rejects the smooth fall in TEC in post sunset ionosphere. The depletions in TEC are characterized by a sudden fall and immediate recovery in level of TEC for a given line of sight. Since our algorithm extracts only such signatures and hence minimize the false alarms it may reduce burden on operational systems. We present this algorithm in detail. Another important facet of this algorithm is about its scientific use in automatic analysis of large amount of continuous GPS data. We have analyzed the aforementioned data by a MATLAB based script and obtained significant statistical results. The temporal duration and depth of TEC depletions is obtained for all over Indian region which provide a new insight over the phenomenon called EPBs and TEC depletions.

Thermally-sprayed zinc anodes are used in both galvanic and impressed current cathodic protection systems for reinforced concrete structures. The Albany Research Center, in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation, has been studying the effect of electrochemical aging on the bond strength of zinc anodes for bridge cathodic protection systems. Changes in anode bond strength and other anode properties can be explained by the chemistry of the zinc-concrete interface. The chemistry of the zinc-concrete interface in laboratory electrochemical aging studies is compared with that of several bridges with thermal-sprayed zinc anodes and which have been in service for 5 to 10 years using both galvanic and impressed current cathodic protection systems. The bridges are the Cape Creek Bridge on the Oregon coast and the East Camino Undercrossing near Placerville, CA. Also reported are interfacial chemistry results for galvanized steel rebar from the 48 year old Longbird Bridge in Bermuda.

Nanosized nickel-substituted zinc aluminate oxides were obtained by the gradual insertion of nickel cations within the zinc aluminate lattice, using starch as active ingredient. The obtained (Ni x Zn1- x Al2)-starch ( x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1) gel precursors were characterized through infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The thermal behavior of the precursors are influenced by the nickel content, the DTA curves for the richer nickel samples revealing stronger, faster and overlapping exothermic reactions, that can be completed at lower temperatures. The corresponding spinelic oxides were obtained after calcination treatments at 800 °C and analyzed by means of NIR-UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD measurements, SEM, TEM, and HRTEM investigations. The spinelic structure for all oxide samples is confirmed by XRD analysis, although small amounts of NiO cannot be neglected. TEM/HRTEM analysis revealed mesopores embedded in plate-like large (68.8 nm) particles of Ni0.2Zn0.8Al2O4 sample and smaller (15.7 nm) uniform equiaxial particles, with a more pronounced tendency of agglomeration for Ni0.8Zn0.2Al2O4 oxide. A formation mechanism for Ni0.2Zn0.8Al2O4 oxides was proposed based on DTA/TG, XRD, and SEM analyses. NIR-UV-Vis spectra for Ni x Zn1- x Al2O4 showed a significant presence of tetrahedral nickel cations that augments with nickel concentration increase. CIE- L * a * b * color parameters shown a variation of the lightness and also of the green and blue color components with x, the best color characteristics being obtained for x = 0.6. The oxides with a substitution degree x = 0.2 and 0.8 tested in the oxidative coupled of methane reaction (OCM) showed positive catalytic activity and selectivity due to an interesting synergetic effect of Zn(II) and Ni(II) ions.

Some novel nano-sized structure zinc complexes of a new Schiff base ligand entitled as (3-nitro-benzylidene)-{2-[2-(3-nitro-phenyl)-imidazolidine-1-yl]-ethyl}-amine(L) with general formula of ZnLX2 wherein X = Cl-, Br-, I-, SCN- and N3- have been synthesized under ultrasonic conditions. The ligand and its complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance measurements, FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The resulting data from spectral investigation especially 1H and 13C NMR well confirmed formation of an imidazolidine ring in the ligand structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed nano-size structures with average particle sizes of 21.80-78.10 nm for the zinc(II) Schiff base complexes. The free Schiff base and its Zn(II) complexes have been screened in vitro both for antibacterial activity against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and also for antifungal activity. The metal complexes were found to be more active than the free Schiff base ligand. The results showed that ZnL(N3)2 is the most effective inhibitor against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aereuguinosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans while ZnLBr2 was found to be more effective against Bacillus subtillis than other compounds. Moreover, DNA cleavage potential of all compounds with plasmid DNA was investigated. The results showed that the ligand and ZnLCl2 complex cleave DNA more efficiently than others. In final, thermal analysis of ligand and its complexes revealed that they are decomposed via 2-3 thermal steps in the range of room temperature to 1000 °C. Furthermore some activation kinetic parameters such as A, E*, ΔH*, ΔS* and ΔG* were calculated based on TG/DTA plots by use of coats - Redfern relation. Positive values of activation energy evaluated for the compounds confirmed the thermal stability of them. In addition to, the positive ΔH*, and ΔG* values suggested endothermic character for the thermal decomposition steps.

This paper presents the results of catalytic properties of n-butanol conversion of the zinc ferrite obtained by oxidative precipitation method. The zinc ferrite showed good dehydrogenating activity but also catalyzed consecutive bimolecular condensation of emerged aldehyde particles into symmetrical ketone. The zinc-iron oxide of spinel structure was prepared from ferrous sulfate, which forms as a waste during the titanium dioxide production. The X-ray diffraction methods (XRD, XRF) were used in determining the structure and composition of obtained zinc ferrite, while thermogravimetry (TG-DTG), and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were used in the study of thermal transformations of zinc spinel in air.

Zinc ultrafine powders (UFPs) with the average particle size of 0.175 to 1.24 μm are synthesized via the flow-levitation method. The peculiarities of the formation of zinc UFPs are considered with respect to the carrier gas properties (heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and diffusion coefficient), as well as the gas flow parameters (pressure and flow rate). The obtained zinc particles are studied via scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The factors determining the crystal structure of zinc particles and their size distribution are discussed as well. The data on oxidation of zinc stored in unsealed containers under normal conditions are also presented.

Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that zinc possesses antidepressant properties and that it may augment the therapy with conventional, that is, monoamine-based, antidepressants. In this review we aim to discuss the role of zinc in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression with regard to the monoamine hypothesis of the disease. Particular attention will be paid to the recently described zinc-sensing GPR39 receptor as well as aspects of zinc deficiency. Furthermore, an attempt will be made to give a possible explanation of the mechanisms by which zinc interacts with the monoamine system in the context of depression and neural plasticity. PMID:28299207

This paper attempts to ascertain the possibility of use of 1-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-pyrazolone-5-thione (thiopyrine) for cadmium and zinc concentration in waste waters of oil refineries for their subsequent determination. Cadmium and zinc complexing with thiopyrine in aqueous solutions was studied by the distribution method. Cadmium and zinc in waste waters were determined by a neutron activation technique. The elemental composition and certain properties of halide complexes of cadmium and zinc with thiopyrine are shown. The constants of chloroform extraction of iodide complexes of cadmium and zinc with thiopyrine are shown.

The use of zinc in medicinal skin cream was mentioned in Egyptian papyri from 2000 BC (for example, the Smith Papyrus), and zinc has apparently been used fairly steadily throughout Roman and modern times (for example, as the American lotion named for its zinc ore, 'Calamine'). It is, therefore, somewhat ironic that zinc is a relatively late addition to the pantheon of signal ions in biology and medicine. However, the number of biological functions, health implications and pharmacological targets that are emerging for zinc indicate that it might turn out to be 'the calcium of the twenty-first century'. Here neurobiological roles of endogenous zinc is summarized. PMID:20396459

We have investigated the responsible mechanism for the observation of metallic conductivity at room temperature and metal-semiconductor transition (MST) at lower temperatures for aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films. AZO films were grown on glass substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering with varying substrate temperatures (T{sub s}). The films were found to be crystalline with the electrical resistivity close to 1.1 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm and transmittance more than 85% in the visible region. The saturated optical band gap of 3.76 eV was observed for the sample grown at T{sub s} of 400 °C, however, a slight decrease in the bandgap was noticed above 400 °C, which can be explained by Burstein–Moss effect. Temperature dependent resistivity measurements of these highly conducting and transparent films showed a MST at ∼110 K. The observed metal-like and metal-semiconductor transitions are explained by taking into account the Mott phase transition and localization effects due to defects. All AZO films demonstrate crossover in permittivity from positive to negative and low loss in the near-infrared region, illustrating its applications for plasmonic metamaterials, including waveguides for near infrared telecommunication region. Based on the results presented in this study, the low electrical resistivity and high optical transmittance of AZO films suggested a possibility for the application in the flexible electronic devices, such as transparent conducting oxide film on LEDs, solar cells, and touch panels.

We have investigated the responsible mechanism for the observation of metallic conductivity at room temperature and metal-semiconductor transition (MST) at lower temperatures for aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films. AZO films were grown on glass substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering with varying substrate temperatures (Ts). The films were found to be crystalline with the electrical resistivity close to 1.1 × 10-3 Ω cm and transmittance more than 85% in the visible region. The saturated optical band gap of 3.76 eV was observed for the sample grown at Ts of 400 °C, however, a slight decrease in the bandgap was noticed above 400 °C, which can be explained by Burstein-Moss effect. Temperature dependent resistivity measurements of these highly conducting and transparent films showed a MST at ˜110 K. The observed metal-like and metal-semiconductor transitions are explained by taking into account the Mott phase transition and localization effects due to defects. All AZO films demonstrate crossover in permittivity from positive to negative and low loss in the near-infrared region, illustrating its applications for plasmonic metamaterials, including waveguides for near infrared telecommunication region. Based on the results presented in this study, the low electrical resistivity and high optical transmittance of AZO films suggested a possibility for the application in the flexible electronic devices, such as transparent conducting oxide film on LEDs, solar cells, and touch panels.

A new series of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Zinc boro-tellurite glasses with the chemical composition (40-x-y)B2O3+ 25TeO2+20ZnO+15BaO+xYb2O3+yEr2O3 (where x = 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 3; y =1 in wt %) were prepared by melt quenching technique and their spectroscopic behavior were studied through UV-Vis-NIR absorption and NIR luminescence measurements. The bonding parameters (β ¯ and δ) and Judd-Ofelt (JO) intensity parameters Ωλ (λ=2, 4 and 6) have been calculated from the band positions of the absorption spectra. A broad near-infrared emission band at 1540 nm with a full width at half maximum around 80 nm was observed from the NIR luminescence spectra by monitoring an excitation at 980 nm. The absorption cross-section and emission cross-section for the4I13/2→4I15/2 transition of the Er3+ ions were also determined using McCumber theory and the results were discussed and reported.

The solvothermal reaction of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O with 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic (1,4-H2ndc) and 3,3‧-dimethyl-4,4‧-bipyridine (dmbpy) generates a new twofold-interpenetrating 3D zinc-organic framework, [Zn2(1,4-ndc)2(dmbpy)]n, (1). Two adjacent ZnII atoms form a paddle-wheel Zn2(COO)4 secondary building unit (SBU), which is linked by 1,4-ndc linkers with bis(syn, syn-bridging bidentate) bonding modes within the layer to form a 2D net and is further pillared by dmbpy struts to give rise to a 3D framework with channels of 6.7 × 6.7 Å2. PXRD shows that complex 1 was stable in air after moisture exposure for 30 days. 1 emits the intense indigotin photoluminescence at room temperature. Moreover, 1 has a remarkable activity for degradation of methyl orange in a photo-assisted Fenton-like process.

Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) contains approximately 100 homeobox genes, many of which have been shown to play critical roles in various developmental processes. Here we characterize the zinc finger-homeodomain (ZF-HD) subfamily of homeobox genes, consisting of 14 members in Arabidopsis. We demonstrate that the HDs of the ZF-HD proteins share some similarities with other known HDs in Arabidopsis, but they contain distinct features that cluster them as a unique class of plant HD-containing proteins. We have carried out mutational analyses to show that the noncanonical residues present in the HDs of this family of proteins are important for function. Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid matrix analyses of the ZF-HD proteins reveal that these proteins both homo- and heterodimerize, which may contribute to greater selectivity in DNA binding. These assays also show that most of these proteins do not contain an intrinsic activation domain, suggesting that interactions with other factors are required for transcriptional activation. We also show that the family members are all expressed predominantly or exclusively in floral tissue, indicating a likely regulatory role during floral development. Furthermore, we have identified loss-of-function mutations for six of these genes that individually show no obvious phenotype, supporting the idea that the encoded proteins have common roles in floral development. Based on these results, we propose the ZF-HD gene family encodes a group of transcriptional regulators with unique biochemical activities that play overlapping regulatory roles in Arabidopsis floral development. PMID:16428600

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether zinc may improve the repair ability of demineralized dentin. Dentin disks were demineralized by phosphoric acid during 15 s and immersed in artificial saliva, remineralizing solution, a zinc chloride solution and a zinc oxide solution. Dentin specimens were analyzed after 24 h and 1 month of storage. Surface morphology was assessed by atomic force and scanning electron microscopy, mechanical properties were analyzed by nanohardness testing in a TriboIndenter, and chemical changes at the surfaces were determined by X-ray diffraction, Raman and energy-dispersive elemental analyses. After phosphoric acid application, dentin was only partially demineralized. Demineralized dentin was remineralized after 24 h of storage in any of the tested solutions (nanohardness increased and hydroxylapatite formation was detected by Raman). Remineralization was maintained up to 1 month in dentin stored in remineralizing solution, zinc chloride and zinc oxide. Zinc and phosphate were important for hydroxylapatite homeostasis. Scholzite formation was encountered in dentin stored in zinc-containing solutions. Zinc might allow to reach the balance between dentin demineralization and remineralization processes.

Argon is a strong scintillator and an ideal target for Dark Matter detection; however {sup 39}Ar contamination in atmospheric argon from cosmic ray interactions limits the size of liquid argon dark matter detectors due to pile-up. Argon from deep underground is depleted in {sup 39}Ar due to the cosmic ray shielding of the earth. In Cortez, Colorado, a CO{sub 2} well has been discovered to contain approximately 600 ppm of argon as a contamination in the CO{sub 2}. We first concentrate the argon locally to 3% in an Ar, N{sub 2}, and He mixture, from the CO{sub 2} through chromatographic gas separation, and then the N{sub 2} and He will be removed by continuous distillation to purify the argon. We have collected 26 kg of argon from the CO{sub 2} facility and a cryogenic distillation column is under construction at Fermilab to further purify the argon.

The aims of this study were to investigate zinc content in the studied soils; evaluate the efficiency of geostatistics in presenting spatial variability of zinc in the soils; assess bioavailable forms of zinc in the soils and to assess soil-zinc binding ability; and to estimate the potential ecological risk of zinc in soils. The study was conducted in southern Poland, in the Malopolska Province. This area is characterized by a great diversity of geological structures and types of land use and intensity of industrial development. The zinc content was affected by soil factors, and the type of land use (arable lands, grasslands, forests, wastelands). A total of 320 soil samples were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties (texture, pH, organic C content, total and available Zn content). Based on the obtained data, assessment of the ecological risk of zinc was conducted using two methods: potential ecological risk index and hazard quotient. Total Zn content in the soils ranged from 8.27 to 7221 mg kg(-1) d.m. Based on the surface semivariograms, the highest variability of zinc in the soils was observed from northwest to southeast. The point sources of Zn contamination were located in the northwestern part of the area, near the mining-metallurgical activity involving processing of zinc and lead ores. These findings were confirmed by the arrangement of semivariogram surfaces and bivariate Moran's correlation coefficients. The content of bioavailable forms of zinc was between 0.05 and 46.19 mg kg(-1) d.m. (0.01 mol dm(-3) CaCl2), and between 0.03 and 71.54 mg kg(-1) d.m. (1 mol dm(-3) NH4NO3). Forest soils had the highest zinc solubility, followed by arable land, grassland and wasteland. PCA showed that organic C was the key factor to control bioavailability of zinc in the soils. The extreme, very high and medium zinc accumulation was found in 69% of studied soils. There is no ecological risk of zinc to living organisms in the study area, and in 90

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is frequently used in commercial sunscreen formulations to deliver their broad range of UV protection properties. Concern has been raised about the extent to which these ZnO particles (both micronized and nanoparticulate) penetrate the skin and their resultant toxicity. This work has explored the human epidermal skin penetration of zinc oxide and its labile zinc ion dissolution product that may potentially be formed after application of ZnO nanoparticles to human epidermis. Three ZnO nanoparticle formulations were used: a suspension in the oil, capric caprylic triglycerides (CCT), the base formulation commonly used in commercially available sunscreen products; an aqueous ZnO suspension at pH 6, similar to the natural skin surface pH; and an aqueous ZnO suspension at pH 9, a pH at which ZnO is stable and there is minimal pH-induced impairment of epidermal integrity. In each case, the ZnO in the formulations did not penetrate into the intact viable epidermis for any of the formulations but was associated with an enhanced increase in zinc ion fluorescence signal in both the stratum corneum and the viable epidermis. The highest labile zinc fluorescence was found for the ZnO suspension at pH 6. It is concluded that, while topically applied ZnO does not penetrate into the viable epidermis, these applications are associated with hydrolysis of ZnO on the skin surface, leading to an increase in zinc ion levels in the stratum corneum, thence in the viable epidermis and subsequently in the systemic circulation and the urine.

Although depletion of storage in low-permeability confining layers is the source of much of the groundwater produced from many confined aquifer systems, it is all too frequently overlooked or ignored. This makes effective management of groundwater resources difficult by masking how much water has been derived from storage and, in some cases, the total amount of water that has been extracted from an aquifer system. Analyzing confining layer storage is viewed as troublesome because of the additional computational burden and because the hydraulic properties of confining layers are poorly known. In this paper we propose a simplified method for computing estimates of confining layer depletion, as well as procedures for approximating confining layer hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss) using geologic information. The latter makes the technique useful in developing countries and other settings where minimal data are available or when scoping calculations are needed. As such, our approach may be helpful for estimating the global transfer of groundwater to surface water. A test of the method on a synthetic system suggests that the computational errors will generally be small. Larger errors will probably result from inaccuracy in confining layer property estimates, but these may be no greater than errors in more sophisticated analyses. The technique is demonstrated by application to two aquifer systems: the Dakota artesian aquifer system in South Dakota and the coastal plain aquifer system in Virginia. In both cases, depletion from confining layers was substantially larger than depletion from the aquifers.

Zinc was established as essential for green plants in 1926 and for mammals in 1934. However, >20 y would pass before the first descriptions of zinc deficiencies in farm animals appeared. In 1955, it was reported that zinc supplementation would cure parakeratosis in swine. In 1958, it was reported that zinc deficiency induced poor growth, leg abnormalities, poor feathering, and parakeratosis in chicks. In the 1960s, zinc supplementation was found to alleviate parakeratosis in grazing cattle and sheep. Within 35 y, it was established that nearly one half of the soils in the world may be zinc deficient, causing decreased plant zinc content and production that can be prevented by zinc fertilization. In many of these areas, zinc deficiency is prevented in grazing livestock by zinc fertilization of pastures or by providing salt licks. For livestock under more defined conditions, such as poultry, swine, and dairy and finishing cattle, feeds are easily supplemented with zinc salts to prevent deficiency. Today, the causes and consequences of zinc deficiency and methods and effects of overcoming the deficiency are well established for agriculture. The history of zinc in agriculture is an outstanding demonstration of the translation of research into practical application.

Objectives: Crocin is one of constituents of saffron and has antioxidant property. Zinc chloride is one of the common compounds of zinc with antioxidant activity. The present study was aimed to investigate separate and combined treatment effects of crocin and zinc chloride on blood levels of zinc and metabolic and oxidative parameters in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 50 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ) and was confirmed by blood glucose levels higher than 250 mg/dL. After confirmation of diabetes, injections (i.p.) of crocin and zinc chloride were performed for six weeks. At the end of the experiment, blood levels of zinc, glucose, insulin, malodialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured. ‎ Results: Crocin (25 and 50 mg/kg) and zinc chloride (5 mg/kg) significantly recovered the decreased levels of zinc, insulin, and TAC and improved the increased levels of glucose and MDA in STZ-induced diabetic rats. In a combination treatment performed with an ineffective dose of crocin (12.5 mg/kg) and a low dose of zinc chloride (1.25 mg/kg), improving effects were observed on the above-mentioned biochemical parameters.‎ Conclusion: The results indicated that separate and combined treatments with crocin and zinc chloride produced improving effects on the blood levels of zinc, glucose, insulin, MDA and TAC in STZ-induced diabetic rats. PMID:26468459

Zinc is essential for all bacteria, but excess amounts of the metal can have toxic effects. To address this, bacteria have developed tightly regulated zinc uptake systems, such as the ZnuABC zinc transporter which is regulated by the Fur-like zinc uptake regulator (Zur). In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Zur protein has yet to be identified experimentally, however, sequence alignment revealed that the zinc-responsive transcriptional regulator Np20, encoded by np20 (PA5499), shares high sequence identity with Zur found in other bacteria. In this study, we set out to determine whether Np20 was functioning as Zur in P. aeruginosa. Using RT-PCR, we determined that np20 (hereafter known as zur) formed a polycistronic operon with znuC and znuB. Mutant strains, lacking the putative znuA, znuB, or znuC genes were found to grow poorly in zincdeplete conditions as compared to wild-type strain PAO1. Intracellular zinc concentrations in strain PAO-Zur (Δzur) were found to be higher than those for strain PAO1, further implicating the zur as the zinc uptake regulator. Reporter gene fusions and real time RT-PCR revealed that transcription of znuA was repressed in a zinc-dependent manner in strain PAO1, however zinc-dependent transcriptional repression was alleviated in strain PAO-Zur, suggesting that the P. aeruginosa Zur homolog (ZurPA) directly regulates expression of znuA. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays also revealed that recombinant ZurPA specifically binds to the promoter region of znuA and does not bind in the presence of the zinc chelator N,N',N-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN). Taken together, these data support the notion that Np20 is the P. aeruginosa Zur, which regulates the transcription of the genes encoding the high affinity ZnuABC zinc transport system.

We describe charge-coupled device (CCD) developmentactivities at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).Back-illuminated CCDs fabricated on 200-300 mu m thick, fully depleted,high-resistivity silicon substrates are produced in partnership with acommercial CCD foundry.The CCDs are fully depleted by the application ofa substrate bias voltage. Spatial resolution considerations requireoperation of thick, fully depleted CCDs at high substrate bias voltages.We have developed CCDs that are compatible with substrate bias voltagesof at least 200V. This improves spatial resolution for a given thickness,and allows for full depletion of thicker CCDs than previously considered.We have demonstrated full depletion of 650-675 mu m thick CCDs, withpotential applications in direct x-ray detection. In this work we discussthe issues related to high-voltage operation of fully depleted CCDs, aswell as experimental results on high-voltage-compatible CCDs.